Harry Potter and the Underground Labyrinth
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: Two years after Labyrinth, Sarah loses her memory due to a car accident. She moves to a new place where she meets a strange boy named Harry Potter. Will his world help her to regain the memories of her own secret world? What happens if she does? R&R!
1. Forgotten Memories

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the series of Harry Potter, nor do I own the amazing, sadly underrated movie known as Labyrinth. I truly wish I did, but I am not the owner. The brilliant author, J.K. Rowling, owns Harry Potter while Jim Henson (also brilliant) owns Labyrinth. I own nothing while writing this crossover, including characters, places, ideas, or events. 

**A/N:** To start this off, this is not my first crossover (I am working on a crossover series for Twilight and Vampire Diaries; check it out if you have time!). However, this is the first crossover I am doing of Harry Potter and Labyrinth, plus the fact that this is the first I am writing for either subject. Still, I hope I do a good job with it and I also hope the readers will take the time to review and tell me what they think, or what they think I should improve on. Thank you for any reviews and I hope you enjoy the story (by the way, being a fan of Labyrinth also makes me a fan of Sarah/Jareth!!). Enjoy. 

**Music that inspired this chapter: "Slipping Through My Fingers" by Meryl Streep and "As The World Falls Down" by David Bowie. (=**

"**Harry Potter and the Underground Labyrinth"**

**Chapter One: Forgotten Memories**

_**This isn't fair,**_** I thought as I gazed out the frosted window at the cars that occasionally speeded by and the small, silent houses that accompanied our new neighborhood. I wasn't even sure why it wasn't fair, but it just wasn't. Drawing in a solemn breath, I turned from the window to glare at my mother even though she wasn't looking my way. My father, on the other hand, was peering at me in the mirror every now and again. Apparently, he thought I wasn't capable of noticing. He had that same strange, sympathetic look on his face, though I really couldn't understand the reason for it. Why is it that he insisted on passing me comforting glances as if I was someone to be pitied or cared for like a child? I was going on sixteen soon. My mother was nosing through a small map that she was had been carrying around in her bag. My younger brother, Toby, was playing with a couple of his toys in the seat next to me. He was surprisingly quiet, especially since he had been irritating throughout the past week when we were getting ready to move. Still, I carefully took hold of one of his hands and smiled weakly down at him. **_**Strange,**_** I thought again to myself. **_**He's only three years old and I'm only fifteen, yet I'm constantly acting like his mother.**_** It was true; for some reason, I never let him out of my sight and I was the first one there whenever he cried or wailed loudly. The feeling of a far-away memory started to rise to the surface of my mind, but it was just out of my reach. It faded away into the shadows of my mind before I could figure out what kind of memory it was. **

**I faced the window again, still holding Toby's hand, and I brushed back a piece of my dark, long hair as I stared at the similar houses that were now rushing by with the wind. What was that memory, anyway? The realization that I had been close to remembering something bothered me. I closed my eyes and was startled when I heard the voice of my mother. **

**"Sarah, we're almost there. This is all for the best you know. Well, the best for you, anyway. Let go of Toby's hand, Sarah, he's fine." Reluctantly, I released Toby's delicate hand and glared at my mother until she turned back around in her seat. My father remained silent as we continued moving slowly through the streets, a fact that seemed to annoy me more than the hint of a lost memory. I closed my eyes once more and immediately brought up the image of a white owl. For some reason, it meant something to me, though I didn't know what. There was something my mind was struggling to remember, but every time I tried to grab hold of it, it vanished into the depths once again. My head felt increasingly foggy until I began picturing the park that had been so close to our old home. In my mind, I saw the unkempt grass and the rickety bridge that stood in the middle of the park. It was so clear in my head, but there was something else there that I should be recalling. I did remember a time when I would don a white dress and memorize lines from my favorite book, though the name of the book now escaped me. I would stand in one of the fields where there was complete silence and focus on my own fantasy world where nothing was impossible. Our dog was there, the sun was shining high in the sky, and the owl was watching from the trees…**

**I shot up in my seat and my eyes grew wide at this memory. Maybe it was a coincidence or perhaps there wasn't even an owl there at all. Was there? What did that owl mean? I knew I should remember, but I couldn't…Now, my mother's hands were wrapped around mine and Toby was making soft, unsure noises in his seat. My father had slowed the car and turned in his seat to give me a concerned look. My father's stern voice broke through my train of thought. **

**"Sarah? Sarah, **_**are you alright?**_** What happened?" I shook my head violently and my mother tossed my father a worried look. Clearly, neither of them knew what was going on. Feeling my heart relax a bit, I took a deep breath and smiled as strongly as I could. **

**"I'm fine. I just thought I remembered something, that's all. It's nothing big, really. If I decide to have an episode, I'll let you know." Both of my parents exchanged uncertain expressions, and it was obvious that they weren't convinced that everything was okay. Looking at me again, they gave me even longer stares of pity and hopelessness. My mother spoke softly and cautiously, as if she thought I would explode at any given moment unless I received immediate attention. **

**"Are you sure? I know it's only been half a year since you were discharged from that facility and maybe it isn't too late to rethink that decision…"**

**"No! No, I'm okay. Really, let's just keep going. I'm sure the moving van will be there before us if we don't hurry." My mother attempted to give me a warm smile, but I could tell it was forced. After another minute, she turned back towards the front and my father followed suit. **_**That was close. Much too close,**_** I thought bitterly as I let out a deep sigh of relief. If I hadn't shaken my parents off, I would probably land in that facility again with all those other patients, the place where they would run tests on me, try to get inside my head, and tell me that it was for my own good that I was treated like a weird experiment. Three months in there had been enough for a lifetime. The car slowed again and I imagined my parents giving me those looks again. Instead, my father pulled into the driveway of a house I had never seen before. I quickly grabbed up my bag and stepped out of the car to get a better look. **

**It looked almost exactly like every other house on the street. My father led the way up the front stairs, but I stayed put. A low wind blew my dark hair across my face and the feel of my mother's grip on my arm caused me to avoid her eyes. I knew that if I looked there, I would see that unbearable look in her eyes. She lifted Toby in her arms and ignored me as I reached for him. She only looked back at me once to give me a few choice words. **

**"Don't look so forlorn, Sarah. Just try it, please. You know, you shouldn't take everything you see for granted. Anyway, welcome to Number Three, Privet Drive. It's our new home, Sarah, so please don't judge it so quickly." Without checking if I was following her, she moved near the front door and slipped inside our new home. Her words rebounded around my head and it brought on another feeling of a lost memory. **_**You shouldn't take everything you see for granted. **_**Then, another wave of words interrupted my mind, but these were ones I was sure I heard sometime far away. They were like cool wind, the way they circled around my mind. **_**You know what your problem is…you take too many things for granted…**_** Looking back up at the unfamiliar building, I felt a surge of confidence burst inside me. I could do this, sure I could. Maybe it would even help some of my memory to return. **_**Things are not always what they seem in this place…**_** Where were all these faint memories coming from? Taking a deep breath, I stepped willing into the atmosphere of my new home, unaware at that point some things would only get stranger. **_**Things are not always what they seem…**_


	2. The Girl Next Door

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Labyrinth (though I really wish I did!!). The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. Not me! Actually, I own nothing while writing this story!

**A/N:** This is the second chapter of my story and I really am hoping that I can do this story right, especially since I have never made a fanfic for either of these subjects before. So, I hope the readers will leave some reviews and tell me what they think I should improve on. Thank you for any reviews and enjoy the next chapter!

**Music that inspired this chapter: "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift, "Angels on the Moon" by Thriving Ivory, and "No Surprise" by Chris Daughtry. (=**

**Chapter Two: The Girl Next Door**

**All was quiet inside Number Four, Private Drive during that particular day when Sarah moved into the house next door. In fact, it seemed too quiet to ever be considered normal. The Dursleys, for whatever reason, felt no desire to spend their day indoors and had resulted in leaving their house completely empty and silent. Well, except for the one person they didn't necessarily care for, a person that just happened to reside in their home. Instead, they had left Harry Potter alone in the house without any means of keeping himself busy enough to escape his unhappy thoughts. **

**Now, Harry spent the majority of his time in his small room, the one that had—at one point—belonged to his cousin, Dudley. The fact that he owned so few material items did not make the room appear any larger. At that moment, a medium-sized trunk lay in the middle of his bedroom floor, the lid hanging open awkwardly. Inside were only a few objects including the textbook "Hogwarts: A History" by Bathilda Bagshot, a spare bit of clothing, pieces of broken quills and ink bottles, and finally a single shard of glass that had belonged to the mirror that Sirius had left to him. Looking at this strange piece of mirror often brought unwanted memories to Harry's mind. In a large metal cage, Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, squawked and rustled her feathers, hoping to gain her owner's attention. Shadows from the darkening sky flowed through the frosted window and only caused more coldness to enter the already freezing room. Harry didn't pay any attention to any of these things, for he was lost again in his troubled dreams. **

**The nightmares had started becoming frequent; it had begun soon after the death of his godfather, Sirius Black. Harry was now spread lazily on his bed, eyes shut tightly as he fought through the images in his head. They were always the same memories, and every last one bothered him until he couldn't stand it. It was always a replay of Sirius's last moments, the time when he had been struggling against the Death Eaters that had intruded the Ministry in order to take possession of a certain prophecy, one that involved Harry. Those haunting words now whispered across his dreams and stayed there as if burned permanently on his brain. In the final stage of the fight, Bellatrix Lestrange had attacked Sirius head-on with the Killing Curse. All these details rushed through Harry's mind until he was startled awake in his bed. Gasping for breath and rubbing at his strange lightning-shaped scar, he lifted himself into a sitting position and ignored the sudden growling of his stomach. **

**Harry got to his feet uneasily and stumbled over to where Hedwig was now thrashing about in her cage. Harry opened a small box on his desk and placed an owl treat inside Hedwig's cage, leaving her to gobble down the treat in a matter of a few seconds. Harry groaned as he watched the last few crumbs disappear. **

**"That's enough for you right now, Hedwig. Anyway, I'm already low on owl treats as it is and you know how our 'family' doesn't exactly hand over food often." Hedwig chirped loudly in protest against Harry's words, but he turned to the window. He rubbed away most of the icy frost on his window and gazed outside. He was almost ready to return to his bed when he glimpsed the moving van next door. He felt confusion pass over his face and he faced Hedwig again, who was now staring at him in wide-eyed wonder. "Hang on; I thought the new neighbors weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow." Shrugging carelessly, Harry continued to peer out into the dimly lit street as the last few boxes were carried into the house next door. A young-looking girl slowly started for her new house, and Harry couldn't help but to keep his focus aimed on her. **

**For starters, she was extremely pretty, at least that was the impression Harry got of her from this view. His breath began fogging up the window and he quickly swiped it away from the glass. He squinted and attempted to get a better look at this unfamiliar girl. She looked about fifteen or sixteen at most, but she moved with the grace and easiness of a young woman. From what Harry could see, she had long, dark hair that reached a bit past her shoulders. She was somewhat petite and very thin, but she looked like the kind of girl who might contain some kind of strength; she didn't look like one of those carefree, hopeless, oblivious girls that were so common in the Muggle world. In fact, she looked much more different from that type of girl. Harry noticed that, in her arms, she handled a small child who seemed no more than four years old. In truth, she looked more like the child's mother than the woman who had just stepped out of the house and was intending on taking the child. **

**Harry briefly wondered who this girl might be, but as soon as he considered taking a trip outside the house, his inner voice spoke against it. He often didn't feel like he had the energy to travel anywhere outside the confines of his bedroom anymore; he even imagined that he was making the Durselys feel uncomfortable, though he had always assumed they felt better when he wasn't around. He had quit accepting their meals and their company, whatever company they could provide. No, meeting that new girl probably wasn't the best idea, especially since everyone Harry held connections with kept dying off. Besides his best friends, Hermione and Ron, he no longer felt the need to get close to anyone in particular, much less a new girl next door who was no doubt a Muggle. Still, would having someone to talk to be all that bad? **

**Harry heard everything go silent outside and he figured the new neighbors had retreated into their house. About time too since it was getting late out and darkness had dropped over the whole neighborhood. He picked up a few scraps of parchment that were scattered over his desk. He had read these letters so many times that the parchment was almost completely flat and stiff. Rereading a certain letter, he felt his heart drop a few more levels as he wished he could do something to lift the gloominess that had inevitably settled on his shoulders. Now, his lips formed the words on the paper as he recited the comforting words of his friend. **

_'Dear Harry,_

_I hope you're decent and you already know we can't wait to hear from you. The only task I am concerned with is finishing my homework before we head back to Hogwarts—I've got three essays for Potions, two more assignments for Charms, and if only we could practice our magic outside school grounds because I definitely need to improve on some of those spells for Charms. Anyway, I hope you're doing well, Harry. Not having…you-know-who around (of course, I do not mean You-Know-Who) must be difficult. I wish you'd write back soon. We're all supporting you, Harry and we can't pretend we're not worried about you. Well, write back soon and I can't wait until we've returned to school; can't you? _

_Hermione_

**Harry shook his head and released a laugh that lacked any real emotion. That was Hermione for you; she was forever worried about her assignments and perfecting her already outstanding grades. Even so, she was nothing less than a true friend who would stand by his side no matter what. Harry dropped the letter back onto his desk and paced for a few moments. Why didn't he write back? Simply because he had no warming or comforting words to offer his friends? They had been at the Ministry as well, except they weren't the ones who suffered any losses. Going back towards the window, Harry realized that the young girl was still outside, only now she was gazing up at the almost-full moon in the misty skies above. Harry followed her line of vision and couldn't help but stay transfixed on the moon. It was so simple, beautiful, unearthly, and unlike any sight he had seen in the previous week. The moon seemed to possess a glowing light of its own as it cast down a wave of white light onto the streets below. Staring at it, Harry felt all his concerns lift temporarily. It was enough to lose his depressed sensations by paying attention to this one sight. Looking back at the girl, Harry wondered if she, too, had secret troubles that she felt unable to confide with anyone. Perhaps Harry was similar to her in the way that his mind was crowded by bothersome notions. ****Taking one last look at the girl before she slipped into her new home, Harry reconsidered his recent decision to stay away from her. Maybe, by getting to know her, some of that darkness would be able to finally leave him and give him a chance to return to some kind of normalcy. Maybe. **


	3. When Harry Met Sarah

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own the Harry Potter series or the amazing movie known as "Labyrinth". These ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson only. I own nothing while writing this story (though it would be so awesome if I did!!). _

_**A/N: **__Sorry it took a while for the next chapter. I've been busy this whole week and didn't find any chance of updating. So, here's the next chapter and I hope the readers enjoy it (and perhaps be kind enough to leave a review for me afterwards?). Also, I am planning on using Jareth in this chapter, so tell me what you think and maybe give me a review to tell me what I should improve on (I am pretty sure it will be difficult to write for Jareth…). Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!_

_**Chapter Three: When Harry Met Sarah**_

**At the moment when Sarah took the first steps into her new home, the Goblin King was peering into one of his glass crystals. The shadowy form of Sarah emerged in the crystal and Jareth suddenly found himself recalling how long it had been since he saw her last. The changes were small, but still noticeable. Her hair was a bit shorter than it had once been during her journey through the Labyrinth. She also seemed to be more considerate towards her brother, Toby. It almost felt like it was yesterday that Sarah was in his world, determined to get the best of the complicated Labyrinth that stood in her way, using her strength to step deeper into his world and claim back her young brother. Had years really gone by since then? There was still something else that was different from the Sarah that he had faced those years ago, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. **

**Frustrated, he began slowly pacing around the strange room that contained countless twisted staircases. It was the only place the goblins were not allowed to enter and the one place where he could gaze at this girl through his crystals without being disturbed. In truth, the goblins did tend to grow annoying most of the time, almost to the point where Jareth could no longer stand their presence. Inside the dazzling crystal, Sarah shifted her position and Jareth caught a glimpse of her delicate face; it was so familiar and he instantly recalled that fateful moment when she had confronted him. He remembered that time well; it was the moment where Sarah had rejected his offer and declared that he held no power over her. If anything, it was an act that he had not expected from her; he had been so sure that he would claim her and gain the best of her. She had such a spark in her eyes during that last confrontation, one that expressed the confidence and bravery that rested within her. That was just it; he realized it as he stared at that young girl who once overpowered him. That was the difference: Sarah no longer had that spark in her eyes, and there was no hint of the determination that she had fully showed off while challenging the atmosphere of the Underground. Instead, her eyes held a sign of uncertainty, confusion, and child-like wonder. Her eyes, even though they were the same beautiful shade, were not the eyes he had seen before. **

**Shaking his head, Jareth paced again around the levels of this abnormal room. He wondered briefly if the goblins even remembered this girl. She had only existed in this world for thirteen hours or so while she completed his challenge. He knew there had been times when some of the goblins would visit Sarah in her world, even when he did not permit them to do so. He felt disgust at the thought of those displeasing, worthless goblins in her company while he could only imagine her in his memories of her time here, in his world and his Labyrinth. Jareth almost considered leaving the Underground for a while to observe Sarah in her world—oh, how amusing that would be—when soft footsteps approached the stairs. Jareth immediately felt annoyance rise inside him as he predicted which goblin would have the nerve to disobey his orders. Didn't they know perfectly well what he could do to them if they disrespected him? The shadow of a small creature danced on the walls, followed by an even tinier goblin. The goblin looked even smaller than it really was due to the fact that it was incredibly tremulous as it stared at the Goblin King, awaiting his predicted fury. His voice rang out loudly and seemed to bounce off the walls as he released his anger on the goblin. **

**"What is this? Did I not command you goblins to stay away from this room until further notice? You do recall what happens to those who disobey my orders?" The goblin appeared to cower even more as it considered its response. The last thing the goblin wanted to do was cause Jareth to feel more anger. His words were true; the goblin understood perfectly well what happened to the goblins that chose to get on Jareth's wrong side. They often ended up in the Bog of Eternal Stench, a place that made all other goblins shake with a single thought of it. The goblin continued trembling and—in a low, weak voice—addressed the Goblin King in a way it thought was proper. **

**"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have come to inform you that the goblin, Hoggle, is awaiting your presence. I am truly sorry…" The goblin's voice trailed off and Jareth considered those words. What could that useless goblin want and so urgently? Taking one last look at the glass crystal that was still gripped tightly in his hand, he waved the goblin off with an order to keep Hoggle in the throne room until Jareth was ready to speak to him. The goblin nodded vigorously and cautiously wandered off. Jareth was careful to include a warning about the fate of that particular goblin should he be interrupted again. That one threat always seemed to maintain control over these creatures. Jareth scowled at the fading figure of the goblin and returned to gazing at the crystal in his gloved hand, which was becoming even foggier. He hastily slid a hand over the smooth glass surface and the image in the crystal instantly became more vivid. Sarah was now outside the boundaries of her new home, staring somewhat longingly at the glowing moon that lingered in the night sky. Jareth made up his mind at that point to take a trip to her world, if only to catch a temporary glimpse of the girl he had known those years ago. With a wave of his hand, the crystal turned back into its empty, clear form and Jareth only hesitated for a moment, thinking again of Sarah's adventures in the Underground before he reluctantly headed for his throne room to see what that goblin—what was his name…Hogwart….Hogger?—wanted. Arrogantly, he swiped a hand through his white-blonde hair and decided that perhaps this meeting might be worth his time. **

* * *

**The blinding light of the sun woke me up the next morning, the first morning that I would be spending in a new house. I sleepily rubbed at my eyes as I waited for them to adjust to the brightness of the room. At first, I had almost forgotten that I had moved to a new home and the sight of this unfamiliar bedroom had surprised me. The events of the previous day rushed into my mind as I tumbled out of the bed and made my way to the window. Most of my things were still contained in cardboard boxes that lined my bedroom wall, and I really didn't feel like I had the energy to unpack just yet. It wasn't difficult for me to admit; I didn't want to call this my new home at this point. Peeking through the blinds, I saw that it was dead quiet outside and there wasn't even so much as a car driving by. **

**Before completely closing the blinds, I caught the sight of a young boy across the street. He actually looked about my age and he was the only teenager I had seen on this street so far. Apparently, everyone liked to keep to themselves. If that was true, I wondered what they would be whispering about me when they discovered that I was the new girl on the street. In truth, I was more mature than I was a few years ago; I no longer indulged in dressing in gowns and dreaming up fantasies. A memory nagged at my mind again, but all I could bring to the surface was the image of the white owl that I had been thinking of yesterday. Why was that one image constantly playing in my head? I didn't have the answer, but I desperately wanted it. **

**Looking back at the boy across the street, I realized he was the strangest boy I had ever seen. He wasn't strange in a horrible way that suggested he should be avoided, though I had no doubt people living on this street had their opinions, but he was the type of strange boy that caught your attention. The first thing I noticed was that he had jet-black hair, even darker than mine, and it was ruffled and messy in many places. He wore round-rimmed black glasses that matched the color of his hair and, squinting my eyes, I recognized that he had tape over the bridge of the glasses. Behind those glasses, he had emerald green eyes, a shade of green that wasn't so common but was attractive nonetheless. What was even stranger was how the boy was acting. He was sitting calmly on a bench in the garden of the house that I assumed was his, simply sitting there outside. Sometimes he would look around the garden, as if he were memorizing every small detail and appreciating the details in a way that people never often did. Then there were minutes when he would close his eyes and looked to be relaxing peacefully there on the bench. He looked to be someone who didn't get many chances to be outside in the fresh air and was enjoying the moments he did spend outside. I shook my head in amazement and then turned to hurry out of my bedroom. **

**"Sarah, honey, where ever are you going this early in the morning?" my mother questioned me as I rushed through the kitchen and headed for the back door. I only glanced at her once before answering as quickly as I could. The smell of bacon, eggs, and chocolate chip pancakes filled my nose as I hastily moved past the stove where my mother was cooking. I knew she must have made the chocolate chip pancakes for me; they were one of m favorite breakfast meals. I regretted the fact that I was about to rush out of the house, but I was eager to meet the boy I had seen, especially if he was one of the only teenagers on the street. I put on a huge smile for my mother before I slipped on a pair of sneakers, not caring whether I was still in my flannel pajamas. **

**"Sorry, I was just hoping to say hello to the boy across the street. You never know, he could be the only person close to my age on this street. Sorry I have to miss the appetizing pancakes." My mother shook her head in wonder as she smiled brightly. She flipped a pancake in the air before responding. Toby was already awake and in his chair, softly banging his hands on the kitchen table as he waited for his food. **

**"There's a boy living across the street? That was quick, even for you, honey. I really wish you would eat something, though. Don't you at least want to change before you hurry out of the house? I'm sure you'll get plenty of chances to talk to this boy." I only heard half of what my mother said since I was cooing at Toby and talking softly to him. He giggled and reached a hand out to me as I turned away. **

**"Oh, well I just want to make sure I meet him, that's all. I promise I'll eat something as soon as I get back." I charged out of the back door and ran down the stairs. I made my way towards the house that I had seen outside my window. I didn't get far when I heard a sudden noise behind me, one that sounded like a bird. Startled, I searched the trees for the source of the sound and I discovered a white owl perched on a branch, staring at me in a strange way. It was the way it looked at me that made me uncomfortable. Its eyes seemed to follow me as I stepped towards the tree. It bothered me most because of the fact that it appeared to be the same owl I was seeing in my mind. That was ridiculous, though, wasn't it? There was no way this could be the same owl, right? If that was true, then why did this owl seem so familiar? I was sure I had seen it before, but where? The owl kept staring at me and I finally made up my mind to walk away from the tree. I ignored the feeling in my head, the one that told me I should be remembering something. **

**The boy was still there, sitting on the wooden bench that was in the center of a small garden with few flowers. The boy looked up in confusion when I approached and I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I met his brilliant green eyes. He smiled awkwardly as he took in the sight of me. I did the same, taking in details I didn't notice before. He was very thin; I saw that now. It looked as if he didn't have a decent meal in weeks. His clothes were shabbier than they should be and appeared to be ones that were old and already used. I kept a light smile on my face as I greeted him. **

**"Hello, I'm Sarah. The new girl across the street. I just wanted to try to talk to you; you seem to be the only other teenager on this street, anyway." I felt my cheeks blush as I waited for him to speak. He suddenly showed a big smile and nodded towards me. **

**"Yeah, I saw you moving in yesterday. I was kind of hoping to talk to you, too. I'm Harry Potter, by the way." The boy tilted his head in anticipation, as if waiting for a certain response. I had never heard of this boy before, but he seemed different somehow. There was something about this one boy that was mysterious and puzzling. It felt like there was a secret waiting to be unraveled, and I wanted to be the person to unravel it. When I didn't give Harry the response he was apparently looking for—whatever that response may be—he got to his feet and slowly studied me. Then, he asked a question that I really wasn't prepared for. "So, why did you move in the first place and why this street? It's not exactly the most amusing place you could want to be." I looked back at my new house, the one that looked so similar to dozens of other houses on this street. He did have a point; this street wasn't that entertaining or lively. **

**"Well…it was my parents' idea to move into this house; I guess they think it's nice and maybe they enjoy the silence on this street, but to me it's just weird." Harry easily laughed at that statement and he nodded in agreement. He didn't speak up, but waited patiently for me to continue. "Anyway, it's mainly because I was recently involved in a horrible car accident and I lost most of my memory after that. My parents think it will be good for me if we stayed somewhere quiet and new." I didn't tell him about how I had stayed in a facility for a few months after the accident; it wasn't something I wanted to brag about. The thought of my lost memories started bugging me again and I pushed those thoughts quickly from my mind. Harry smiled again as I finished my explanation. He ran a hand through his dark hair and fixed his glasses. **

**"Well…welcome to privet Drive. It seriously has to be the most boring street. I would suggest we go inside, but I don't think my aunt and uncle would like the idea of having a stranger—particularly the new neighbor inside the house. They're not very fond of others, especially if they have their opinions against those people. Matter of fact, they don't like me as it is." I felt sorry for Harry as he solemnly dropped his gaze while he admitted this information. Maybe that was why he didn't often spend time outside; he wasn't allowed to. I instantly felt sympathetic for him. **

**"That's horrible. No wonder you look as if you haven't been outside in days. I wish there was something I could do to help." Harry shook his head immediately. Clearly, he had accepted how he lived and didn't think there was anything anyone could do. Then, he suddenly perked up and showed off a huge grin. **

**"No matter; I've only got a couple months during the summer and then I leave for school. It's much better there than it is here. Plus, I have my friends there and they're not exactly welcome here. Only two more months and then it might not be so bad." He looked so happy when he was thinking of this that I couldn't help but to smile along with him. "You know, you're not that bad…for a new neighbor, that is." I laughed softly at his words and we continued talking until my mother called from the front door, insisting that I absolutely needed breakfast. I sighed and quickly said goodbye to Harry as I raced off towards the house. I called back to him at one point, promising that I would return later. For the first time since I moved to our new house, I actually felt better about the whole situation. Indeed, I was so glad that I didn't take time to notice that the same white owl was sitting on the same branch, watching me carefully with an unusual amount of interest. **

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter. Remember to kindly review (maybe tell me if I did okay with the character of Jareth? I think his character will be more complicated to write for than any other character I have written for). Thank you anyway and I am planning on updating soon, so look out for the next chapter! (= _


	4. A Bunch of Hocus Pocus

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Harry Potter or Labyrinth, no matter how much I want to. The ones who own them completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I basically own nothing while writing this story, including places, characters, or ideas. _

_**A/N: **__Thank you for the reviews that you readers have given me; they are always helpful to me and the continuation of my story. I hope all the readers enjoy this chapter and tell me what they think! I am planning on including Jareth often, so it would be especially helpful if the readers tell me what they think about this. Also, I will be including more on Harry and Sarah in this chapter, so keep reading! Thank you and enjoy the next chapter! (=_

_Also, to one of those readers that reviewed: Thank you so much for the review, especially the comment of my progress with Jareth and the way I portrayed him. It has helped me so much and I hope to use more of Jareth later on. As for __**FireShifter**__'s review, thank you so much for your comment and this review actually inspired me a bit, and might help me with later chapters. Thank you for all the reviews and I hope more helpful ones will follow. (= _

**Chapter 4: A Bunch of Hocus Pocus**

**The rest of the afternoon passed slowly by as I watched the outside world from my bedroom window. I had managed to unpack a few items from the cardboard boxes that were huddled near my wall and now there were snowy white curtains hanging on the bay window in my room, fluttering softly with the breeze. I could faintly hear Toby moaning and laughing somewhere downstairs, but I did not take my eyes away from the house across the street.**

**It was bizarre; things seemed so quiet and lonely now that I didn't have anyone to talk to. I almost regularly tended to Toby, always taking care of him, but it soon got boring trying to talk to a child like him, especially when he could not respond back. I saw no sign of Harry outside, though I already predicted that his relatives would not allow him to leave the house. I wondered if they already heard the news about my family moving in next door. Even better, I wondered what they thought about it. Apparently, they weren't really friendly or social, judging by the way they never even made such efforts with someone like Harry.**

**_It's not fair. It's not fair for either one of us,_ I thought bitterly as I turned away from the window. I strode over to my large queen-sized bed and pounced on it, laying on my back and simply staring at the white ceiling for minutes at a time. Light from the setting sun flowed in through the window, casting a warm, golden light over everything in the room. I picked my head up to glance at the clock on my wall and, startled, I sat upright in my bed, confusion swirling around my head.**

**For one second, as my eyes roamed over the face of the clock, I had been sure that there was an intimidating, perplexing '13' where the number '12' should be. I rubbed at my eyes and took another look. I watched as one of the clock's hands reached the large '12', positioned in its normal space. I felt my mind tugging again and, in my mind's eye, I could see a large clock that had the same daunting '13' instead of a '12', with spinning hands that somehow brought a sinking feeling to my stomach. The memory—or was it just a trick of my mind?—washed away and I was left with a feeling of déjà vu. What had that image been if not reality? A hallucination? Maybe the whole memory loss situation was getting to me after all.**

**My legs were still tremulous as I climbed out of the bed and neared the window once more. The incident with the clock—whatever it had been—continued to cloud my head as I peered out of the window, the final light from the sun starting to melt away. My eyes went wide with excitement as I observed Harry walking near the garden of his house. He stopped near a group of flowers, ones that looked like petunias, and dropped something like a newspaper beside him on the grass. Next, he revealed an item that looked like a fine, wooden stick. I instantly rushed out of my room and down through the kitchen, not caring to listen to my mother's new complaints of how I was yet again leaving the house in a hurry. This time, she had mentioned how I was skipping my dinner, something I didn't really care for at this point.**

**I dashed out of the house and headed for the house next door; I had the sudden urge to find out what Harry was up to. I crouched down near the bushes that lined his yard and hoped he didn't notice me. He didn't; he was now preoccupied with waving whatever was in his hand.**

**Harry adjusted his glasses, which still had scotch tape on them, and then grabbed them off his nose. He stared down at his black-rimmed glasses in frustration before taking a deep breath and calming his body. I bent closer to the bushes, transfixed with fascination as I realized that the object in Harry's hand looked like some kind of wand. He was gripping it in his right hand and only pointed it to his glasses a minute later. I watched with curiosity as he opened his mouth to speak, thoughts and wonders buzzing around my head. His next words, ones I truly did not recognize, amazed me.**

**_"Occulus Reparo!"_ In an instant, bright sparks shot out of the tip of the wand-like object and surrounded his glasses. The scotch tape unraveled itself and the tiny, delicate cracks in the glass disappeared with a single sharp, piercing sound that made me cover my ears. It all happened in a split second, and then Harry was placing his glasses back on his nose, searching the skies cautiously as though he expected something to fly down from it without warning. He breathed a sigh of relief when everything remained silent.**

**I carefully took in a breath as I thought over what I just witnessed. It was like something out of a fantasy novel, and I recalled those stories I used to read. The title of the book that had been a favorite of mine when I was about fourteen still escaped me, though I couldn't think of a good reason to explain it. This, however, was different from a fantasy world in a story; this was happening in reality, something magical and something I was trying to wrap my head around. Perhaps it was just another hallucination; I seemed to be getting a lot of those today. Harry's back was facing me and I instinctively took the advantage, especially since it was a moment when he couldn't see me.**

**"Hey, what are you doing out here? What's that?" I didn't give him a chance to answer my first question, instead pointing towards the wand that was still enclosed tightly in his hand. He looked down at this object and shock instantly spread over his face. He gazed back at me, his emerald green eyes filling with fear and surprise. He hid the wand behind his back and straightened his now perfect glasses.**

**"Blimey, Sarah, how much did you hear or see or…" His words trailed away as he dropped his eyes in what seemed to be shame. I felt bad at that moment; I didn't want to let him think it was his fault that I had seen something…out of the ordinary. This situation was getting awkward already.**

**"Well…I saw what you did with that…wand. You fixed your glasses, it was actually amazing! I'm sorry if I was spying on you; I guess it was kind of rude." I avoided his eyes and stared at my worn sneakers instead. My eyes traveled to the newspaper that was still in the same position on the ground; it was a newspaper I was unfamiliar with—the Daily Prophet. I began focusing on the images that were printed on the first page and then I suddenly gasped aloud. Harry's eyes immediately shot up in alarm and he started scanning my face for any hint of what was wrong.**

**"What? What's happened?" He followed my gaze to the discarded newspaper and his expression turned to one of recognition. My eyes were still trained on the newspaper, my head spinning wildly with explanations. I opened my mouth to speak, and heat rose to my face as I found myself stuttering.**

**"Th-that…that…newspaper! The pictures…th-they were moving!" Faster than I imagined possible, Harry lunged for the newspaper and shoved it behind his back with the wand. A foolish smile swept over his face.**

**"No, the pictures certainly weren't moving. That's…that's mental. Pictures can't move, Sarah." I crossed my arms stubbornly, ready to defend what I saw; I was absolutely sure this had not been a mere hallucination.**

**"Yes, they were! I know what I saw! Those pictures…that newspaper was moving!" Harry sighed deeply when he saw that I wasn't about to back down and he revealed the newspaper, its pictures animated with moving people and objects. I took the newspaper from him and studied it with wonder. Then, I moved my eyes back to him, now seeing him in a new way. He was someone that did not belong in my world; the normal world. He was mystifying, mysterious, something that I could not understand yet.**

**"What are you? You're definitely not normal. Then again, I thought there was something different about you from the start." Harry smiled a bit after listening to my words and took another huge breath. He spread his hands as if to say "here it goes" and began to explain.**

**"I'm a wizard. Promise me you won't go spreading that around; I'm supposed to keep our world, the Wizarding world, a secret. I can do all types of magic, like you just saw. By the way, that newspaper was moving." I laughed at his last sentence and then concentrated on what he was telling me. I was living next door to a wizard, one who easily performed magic and walked through the normal word undetected. I motioned to his scar, another question instantly popping into my head.**

**"What about your scar? That's the most unique scar I've ever seen. I bet that came from some kind of magic, right?" Harry's eyes became sad and depressed as he seemed to remember the time he got the scar. His hand briefly brushed by it and traced it.**

**"I got this scar when I was only a baby. It was the night my parents died and I was brought here to Privet Drive to live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. My parents risked their lives for me and, in the end, all I earned was this scar and a famous title for supposedly defeating a dark wizard." He paused and I felt his words sink in. It was a sad thing, especially now that I was reminiscing about my biological mother, one whom I lost at a younger age. I brought my eyes back up to meet Harry's eyes and I saw that his eyes weren't as sad as they had been a moment ago. He was staring at me curiously, something I should have been doing to him.**

**"Why aren't you afraid or bothered by this? Most Muggles would probably be scared away because they don't understand our world." I shook my head, wondering myself why I wasn't affected by his secret. Then, I smiled brightly at him and laughed.**

**"I kind of have a thing for the fantastical, or at least what I can find in fantasy books. What are Muggles, anyway?" Harry held that strange confusion in his eyes as he answered my question.**

**"Muggles are what we call non-magic people. People that live in the normal world and live normal lives. Muggles." I nodded with understanding before he continued. "You know, you are the strangest girl I've ever met. Well, the strangest human girl I've ever met. Though, it is sort of nice to have a Muggle to talk to, one who won't run away frightened, that is." He nodded towards the newspaper that he had grabbed out of my hand. "I was going to get rid of this, anyway." He stared at me with amusement for a long minute before he touched the tip of the wand to the newspaper. As before, I simply couldn't take my eyes away, anticipating the magic I was sure he was about to use.**

**_"Incendio!" _All at once, the newspaper erupted into spiraling flames and Harry quickly dropped it to the ground. I stepped back, surprised by this sudden act of magic. The newspaper burned easily, the printed and moving pages smoldering as the fire bounced along the edges. Finally, the fire died down and all that was left was a pile of gray ash on the ground. With another wave of his wand, Harry made the pile of ash vanish into thin air. My eyes were wide with amazement and Harry burst out laughing at the sight of my expression. "Trust me, you'll get used to it somehow if you keep spending time with me." I laughed along with him and managed to speak a few words as I tried to keep my eyes away from the powerful wand in his hand.**

**"Well, I guess I should. I'm coming back tomorrow. What can I say? I'm interested." Harry and I kept laughing until the sky grew unbearably dark. Finally, I tossed Harry a goodbye wave and ran towards my house, my stomach growling form lack of dinner. Ideas and new thoughts bounded around my head as Harry's words echoed through my mind.**

**_"I'm a wizard. I can do all types of magic." _I was ready to find out just how much magic he could do. I also couldn't help but to wonder if there was a spell for curing memory loss.**


	5. Sweet Dreams and Beautiful Nightmares

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Harry Potter or the movie "Labyrinth". The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I do not own any ideas, places, characters, or events while writing this story. _

_**A/N: **__Once again, thank you for all the reviews! They really help keep my story going and I hope the readers continue going with my story. Now, for the next chapter. I am planning on using more of Jareth in this chapter so keep reading! Remember to kindly R&R and enjoy! _

_**Music that inspired this chapter: "Underground" by David Bowie, "Walking On Air" by Kerli, "Sweet Dreams" by Beyonce, and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. **_

_**Chapter Five: Sweet Dreams and Beautiful Nightmares**_

Deep in the Underground, the Goblin King was fuming. He was arrogantly stretched across his throne, glaring deeply at a dark crystal in his hand. A few goblins occasionally swept by, but he paid them no attention. He was too busy trying to sort out his thoughts, ones that seemed to crash angrily around his mind. He slowly turned the crystal in his hand, almost tempted to crush it into shards of mystical glass. Instead, he made it twirl smoothly around the curve of his hand, never really caring to watch where it might roll. Many if the pathetic goblins were intent on staying out of Jareth's way; they were keen on sensing his anger and to upset him further never brought good results for that particular goblin.

Ironically, the reason he was angry in the first place was a simple answer. Sarah. She was the exact reason for his anger and the sudden black mood that was surrounding the Goblin King. He had kept watch over her for more than a few hours and he was not satisfied. The thoughts inside his head kept buzzing around and eventually caused Jareth to begin pacing uneasily around his throne room. He now realized the reason for Sarah's unfamiliar character; she had gotten into a car crash and could not gain access to her memories. That was the first thing that got to him. In other words, Sarah possessed no memory of this enchanted place, the Underground. In fact, she certainly did not remember Jareth at all. It was pitiful and irritation sparked up in Jareth's mind at the idea of it.

Besides that, Sarah had become comfortable with the feeling of lost memories, always taking her time trying to recall what she had forgotten. More than that, she had made a new friend, one that caught Jareth's attention immediately. This boy that lived close to Sarah was not normal in any way. The Goblin King had assumed that there was something different about the boy with the lightning-shaped scar and had discovered the answer easily along with Sarah. This boy was simply a wizard, though his magic could never equal that of the Goblin King; Jareth was completely sure of it. Still, how dare she forget about someone like him and choose to spend time with that naïve wizard instead? The realization of this annoyed Jareth more than anything.

Attempting to push Sarah out of his mind for a moment, he turned his focus to the meeting he had had with that lowly goblin…Hoggart? Jareth found he could never remember that goblin's name, perhaps because he really didn't care for him at all. That meeting wasn't one that Jareth expected and now it surfaced in his mind…

* * *

_Jareth took one last longing gaze at the crystal in his hands before slipping down the stairs to the throne room where Hoggle now waited for him. The other goblin had already disappeared by the time Jareth burst into the throne room, feeling less than pleased. As he strode across the throne room to where Hoggle stood silently and without much cowering, Jareth felt another wave of annoyance shoot up. The rest of the throne room was surprisingly empty for once and Hoggle simply lingered, nearly unafraid, in the center of the room. There was even a slight sneer on his face as he met eyes with Jareth. What was this goblin thinking, acting brave and even irritated against the Goblin King? Wasn't he aware of how cruel Jareth could really be, especially when upset or disobeyed? Jareth spied the cheap-looking jeweled bracelet hanging loosely on his wrist, a gift from Sarah from long ago, and Jareth visibly smirked at the goblin. _'This goblin had better show good reasoning for this meeting,'_ Jareth thought bitterly as he crossed the throne room. Hoggle only stared at him expectantly and shifted his weight awkwardly at one point. _

_"Well? I hope you did not interrupt me for poor reasons. I'm sure you already understand what may happen if I become upset." The goblin shifted again, now avoiding Jareth's eyes as he spoke in a disharmonious voice. _

_"Your Majesty, this is about that young girl from a few years ago, the one who bested your Labyrinth. The one you liked." Jareth gritted his teeth angrily as the goblin spoke up. The goblin shrugged as he finished, as if not caring for Jareth's reaction. This goblin must have a great level of nerve to contradict someone like the Goblin King. Trying to ignore the rage that was now filling his every sense, Jareth urged the goblin on. A mental image of the young Sarah entered his mind and Jareth was forced to push it away in order to concentrate on this conversation, one that wasn't going the way he wanted it to. _

_"Sarah, you mean?" The goblin nodded enthusiastically and began playing with the beaded jewelry on his wrist. Jareth figured it was only the memory of Sarah's courage that caused Hoggle to act this way now. When the goblin refused to continue, Jareth pushed him again. "Well? What about her? I'm sure you must have something to say, otherwise you would not be in my sight, would you?" The goblin's expression instantly changed to one of concern and fear. _'That's more like it', _Jareth thought with satisfaction. _

_"No, no, Your Majesty. Of course not. Indeed, I do have something to say on the matter. I realize I am the only one of my kind that recalls the young girl. In fact, I have taken to checking on her in her bedroom mirror. She never sees me anymore, though. At least, she never calls on me like she used to and it is almost sad—" _

_"And about her? Where ever is this going?" The goblin nodded again, looking embarrassed that he had rambled on without notice. The Goblin King certainly did not appreciate that; he liked it better when the goblins got to their point and did not waste his time. Now, the goblin somewhat straightened up, appearing more serious. _

_"Well, Your Majesty, she is different. Of course, no one else has noticed or seems concerned. I am though, and it seems as if she does not remember the Underground at all. It is something I thought you should consider. Though I will say, she does tend to her brother more often than not now." The goblin finished and glanced uneasily up at Jareth, waiting for his words. Jareth did consider this; it was something he did not expect at all. He had always assumed Sarah would keep her memories of the Underground close to her, like a secret only she could enjoy. What did it mean that she did not possess any memories of the wondrous Labyrinth? Jareth waved a hand at the goblin, as though to show he were being foolish about these concerns. _

_"Well, of course no one else is very much concerned, you pathetic goblin. She does not belong to our world and she acted as a stranger during those thirteen hours in which I kept her here. As for her containing a lack of memories, I am sure you are mistaken. If that's the only subject you care to bother me with, I am now requesting you leave." The goblin bent his head, in a way that seemed to express shame for not getting the Goblin king to fully listen to him. As the goblin was moving towards the exit of the throne room, an interesting idea popped into Jareth's mind. He immediately called Hoggle back, ready to use the goblin for his own uses. _

_"I have changed my mind. The only thing I want you to do under my orders is continue to check on Sarah from time to time and report back to me. Especially if her situation has changed in the least bit. Undertsand?" The goblin looked confused for a moment, probably wondering where Jareth was heading with this idea. _

_"But, Your Majesty, what good will that do to you? What means is she to you? Here I thought I was the only one concerned about the girl, but you—" _

_"That is a direct order. Either you attend to your duties now or there will be inevitable punishment. I'm sure you are able to imagine what kind of punishment that will be." The goblin again remained frozen in his spot, an expression of dread filling his face. Then, he nodded and, after being dismissed by Jareth, headed quickly out the door without looking back. The new information on Sarah had taken a toll on Jareth's mind, but it was something he couldn't resist exploring. So, once the goblin had vanished out of sight, Jareth conjured one of his enchanting crystals and peered into it. A foggy picture of Sarah in her bedroom appeared; she was gazing out the window longingly. With a wave of his hand, he used a hint of his power to try to assist Sarah with recovering her memories. All it took was the sudden changing of a clock, one similar to the mysterious one that existed in the Labyrinth…_

_

* * *

_

Jareth brushed a hand through his hair, pushing away this memory of the awkward meeting with that goblin. It had become stuck in Jareth's mind, the information on Sarah. She was as lost as ever, even after experiencing that trick with the clock. He had even observed her himself as she mingled with that wizard…

Jareth started pacing again, attempting to come up with a new plan. Ideas flowed through his head, but they were ones Jareth did not think would fit. It had been hours since Hoggle had last appeared with news on Sarah's behavior. There was little to tell; she was not making any progress with her memory. It was beginning to cause a new feeling of annoyance in Jareth's mind. If only she would remember everything she had ever faced, including him. What would she do if she did remember? Would she ignore the memories, cast them back into the depths of her mind where they would stay without being considered ever again? More important, would there ever be a chance of her returning to his Labyrinth if she did remember? These were questions Jareth did not have the answers to. It was a mystery, one that Jareth detested.

Finally, an acceptable idea became apparent inside his head. Perhaps the clock wasn't enough to cause a reaction in Sarah. Maybe Jareth needed to make some extreme changes. He went over the idea in his mind, grateful for the silence that accompanied him in the throne room. He held out a gloved hand and concentrated carefully until another crystal emerged in the center of his hand. A sly smile spread over his face as he watched it move easily over his hand before showing him a clear image of Sarah sleeping peacefully in her bed. Jareth focused on that one image before using a larger amount of his magic to surround Sarah. His plan was simple, one he was sure would eventually cause a response in this girl; his magic would be used to create images in the girl's mind as she slept and hopefully an overwhelming amount of images that were meant to be familiar to her would help her to regain her memories. Those dreams would bring the mystical ideas of the Labyrinth, the world she had once stepped willingly into, and perhaps even ideas of him. Casting the crystal away, Jareth grinned as he thought again of this plan. It had to work; it would almost certainly work. Jareth had full confidence in his power, even if Sarah had once claimed that his power was of no means to her. Her words floated across his mind as he settled into his throne, prepared to wait for his results.

_'You have no power over me.' _Jareth laughed softly as he considered these words from years ago, ones that gave Sarah her courage and ability to defeat him. He had no power over a girl like her, so she said. Well, he would just have to see about that now. Only time would tell, and time was something that Jareth had enough of.

* * *

Inside Sarah's new house, it was dead silent as it had just struck midnight. Sarah was silently asleep in her bed, with only the presence of peace surrounding her. Moonlight flowed in through the window and past the light curtains that were lifting easily with a night wind. Silence could be heard throughout the house, and nothing seemed to bother Sarah as she dozed deeply. She certainly didn't notice the way the clock had suddenly struck '13' again, or how the feeling of something foreign was getting closer. The strange feeling existed in Sarah's mind, in the normally empty dreams that was affected by her memory loss. With her mind concentrating on new images, unfamiliar memories, and strange meaning, Sarah fell into an uncomfortable sleep. It was one that showed her dreams that were bizarre to her, ones she wished she did not experience. They confused her mind and her sleep became increasingly uneasy. The moon calmly continued filling her room as Sarah tossed in her bed. The light from the moon reflected off the mirror, briefly showing something or someone that should not be there, someone who was not really there in Sarah's room at the moment. The images kept coming faster in Sarah's mind and it was difficult to separate them or discover their meanings. As the night drew on, Sarah fought against these new dreams and the desperate feeling that came with them. And so this was the night the dreams began and the night Sarah could not turn back on her quest of regaining her memories.


	6. Crystal Memories

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth, even though I would really love it if I did. The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I basically own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N:** Sorry that it's been a few days or so since I updated. Also, it's almost Christmas!! Merry (early) Christmas to all of you who are reading this story! Thank you for all the reviews; they have helped me to keep my story going. Many of the reviews actually inspired me, especially a recent one that I have read. Now, because of these reviews, I have a lot of new ideas and I hope the readers continue reading my story until the end! Enjoy the next chapter (and remember to R&R!). (=

**Music that inspired this chapter: "Forever and Always", "Hey Stephen" and "Breathe" by Taylor Swift. (=**

**Chapter Six: Crystal Memories**

The unexplainable dreams that had haunted my mind during the night swam before my eyes the next morning. It was like the images were glued inside my head and they refused to budge. I kept seeing the details of a transformed clock, much like the one I imagined the day before. Then there was the castle that I found myself running through while dreaming, the strangely familiar castle whose walls went on forever and nothing seemed to make sense. Those images were definitely something to ponder over, but the thing that was stuck in my mind the most was the figure of a person in my dreams. He always seemed so far away and it was always towards the end of my dreams that I attempted to reach him, but failed every single time. I briefly counted in my head how many dreams I had during the night, at least the ones I could remember and distinguish. I counted at least three, though I wasn't completely sure.

Shaking my head, I gobbled down the last bit of bacon and toast on my plate, constantly aware that my mother was watching me like a hawk. She probably assumed I would choke on my breakfast or that it was a miracle I had paused long enough to actually eat before disappearing again. Toby sat silently in his chair, mashing up the eggs that were already scrambled on his plate. Laughing, I got up from the table and planted a kiss on Toby's cheek before turning. My mother's stern voice immediately made me reconsider leaving so soon.

"Sarah, I wish you would stop running out of this house without warning. Where do you go, anyway? I think I'm beginning to worry." I faced my mother and noticed that she had picked Toby up, even though he had protested against it. He was now attempting to wrestle out of my mother's grip and back to his plate, still messy with globs of splattered egg. I couldn't help but to smile at him; Toby always seemed adorable to me, for a reason I couldn't place. Besides, why was my mother always protective of him? What did she actually predict I was going to do to him? Become his new mother? Apparently, that's how my mother saw it. Sighing, I forced a cheery grin towards her and put a light spring into my step as I sneaked closer to the front door.

"Well, what can I say? I already found someone on the street about my age and he's much more entertaining than anything I can find in this house. Have fun with Toby." With that, I glided smoothly out the door, leaving my mother to wonder. I pushed all other intruding thoughts of strange dreams out of my mind and headed straight for the Harry's house. Once I reached his door, I rapped loudly on the door and hoped his relatives weren't home. _I have absolutely no luck in this world,_ I thought, as an unfamiliar boy opened the door with a glum look on his face. With one guess, I assumed this was Harry's cousin. He stared me up and down and smiled slyly before opening the door wider. When he stepped closer into view, I got a better look at him.

This cousin of Harry's was less appealing than I predicted he would be. He was almost the complete opposite of Harry. This boy looked very heavy and his figure filled the whole doorway. He had an expression of confidence and slyness on his face, the kind that would mostly be seen on spoiled kids or at least greedy ones. His blond hair was a bit neat in the way it was put together at that moment, though it did little to compliment him, especially when it came to his pudgy face. I had to force myself to act polite so as not to show utter disgust at this boy. When I didn't say anything, the boy opened his large mouth and began sputtering words.

"Well? What do you want? Unless it is something that involves me, I hope?" His dark eyes gleamed as he spoke these words and my stomach twisted in a fierce way as I fought against a wave of detest. Suddenly, harry came running down the stairs and tapped his cousin softly on the shoulder.

"Dudley, she's the new neighbor and she's not exactly here for you—"

"Shut up, would you? Aren't you supposed to be tidying the kitchen or tending to the filthy bird you keep in your room?" Harry's eyes sparked while sudden rage crossed his face. He glared at Dudley before replying.

"You're one to talk. Did you finally get bored bullying kids at the playground or hanging out with your friends on street corners? Yeah, I know all about that, so what if I told your parents about it?" Dudley tried to hide a look of fear and shock, but I had already caught it. Harry probably caught it before I did, since he seemed more confident against Dudley. Harry's cousin straightened up and his voice came out harsh and full of irritation.

"Like they'd ever believe a word you say. If anything, they'd throw you back under the stairs with the rats." Cackling, Dudley strode off, but not without giving me one last hateful look. I secretly wondered if he could be jealous of Harry somehow, but I thought that chance was slim. Harry opened the door wide for me and invited me into his house. It was the first time I had been here, and I took the first few moments to glance around. It was odd; there wasn't so much as one hint that Harry was living here, besides his bedroom, of course. There were plenty of family pictures of Harry's relatives, but nothing to suggest a fourth person in the house. I felt sorry for Harry, and then Dudley's words came back at me, the ones about Harry being put under the stairs. What had that been about? Before I could ask, Harry interrupted my thoughts.

"Sorry about Dudley; he isn't the easiest person to get along with. Trust me, I know." Harry motioned to the stairs and I realized he was leading me to his room. It was easy to guess, especially since it was the only place in this house he could call his own. While climbing the stairs, another question came to my mind.

"If you don't like your cousin that much, then why don't you use some…magic…on him?" I whispered the word 'magic' since I wasn't sure whether Dudley knew or not. As if reading my thoughts, Harry answered.

"Dudley already knows. My relatives have known for a while, but they like to pretend that I'm not a wizard. It gets quite annoying sometimes. Anyway, I'm not allowed to do magic outside school. The only reason I did it when you saw me was to fix my glasses. Dudley likes to think of me as his punching bag. You wonder why I enjoy school much better. Let's hope I don't have to face the consequences for using magic." Harry stopped next to the first door on his right and eagerly pushed it open to allow me in. I stared into his room for a moment before stepping cautiously inside. It was like any other normal teenager's room and didn't give any hint that the owner was a magical being. There was a small bed placed near the wall, a sturdy desk beside the window, clothes thrown in random places, and textbooks stowed forgotten under the bed. The only abnormal thing in the bedroom was a large cage that housed a snowy white owl. I heard Harry close the door to his bedroom and settle himself on his small bed. Taking a closer look at the snowy white owl—and feeling familiar images of and owl enter my mind—I chose to ask another question in order to break the silence.

"What exactly is your school like?" Harry wasn't expecting the question; he paused to slowly consider this question. I watched the owl in the cage as it rustled its wings and tilted its head at me. After a few minutes, Harry spoke up to answer my question.

"Well, that's where my friends are. My school is more like my home and it's where I'm accepted. The only thing I hear of my friends when I'm staying here is the occasional time when they write to me. It's even worse now that my godfather recently passed away." I suddenly focused on Harry and noticed a sad look in his eyes. What was more surprising was how anger was equally present in his eyes as he mentioned his godfather.

"I'm sorry. It's really horrible when someone close to you passes away. I know that as well; my mother left me when I was young." Harry nodded solemnly as he gazed at his owl. Then, he unexpectedly smiled towards the bird.

"Her name is Hedwig, by the way. She's a good owl and it seems as though she likes you." I laughed softly as I looked at the snowy owl. Another object on the desk caught my eye and I moved closer to it as Harry came to stand by my side. His eyes followed to where I was looking and he gave me a startled look.

"Oh, that. I forgot I had that there. That's a Remembrall, that is." He picked up the crystal-like object and turned it in his hands. I watched with fascination as he rolled it in his hands. Another image appeared in my hand, one having to do with that familiar person I was chasing in my dreams. In this image, I saw a gloved hand offering me a crystal-like object, much like the one that Harry now held in his hand. Pushing away the notion, I tried to remember what he had called the crystal in the first place.

"A remember what?" Harry sent me an amused look before holding out the small crystal. It shined in the light of his bedroom lamp and it was the most mystifying thing I had ever seen. I was almost tempted to reach out and take it from him when his voice broke my thoughts.

"This is an item from the Wizarding world. It's a Remembrall. Basically, wizards use it to help them realize if they have forgotten something. If it turns red with smoke while you hold it, it means you've forgotten something important." I trained my focus on the crystal, but it remained clear in Harry's hand. I smirked at him before replying to his words.

"Looks like you didn't forget anything at all. It's perfectly clear when you hold it." Harry laughed and began moving the crystal again. He readjusted his glasses with one hand while twisting the Remembrall around with the other.

"Well, I've had loads of practice. I'm a wizard, remember? Here, you try it then." Harry attempted to hand the crystal to me, but I held up my hands in protest.

"Please, knowing me it would probably turn red in an instant. There are so many things I've forgotten since my accident and I'm not that close to remembering anything yet. I don't know." Despite my arguing, I found myself reaching out towards the Remembrall slowly. Harry waited for me to take it and then stepped back to watch what would happen. In what seemed like a split second, the Remembrall grew cloudy with deep, crimson smoke and I let out a sigh, shrugging at Harry as if to say "I-told-you-so." I placed the Remembrall back in his hand, knowing all the while that it would return to its normal, clear, glassy appearance.

"See? I told you I have a lot to remember. That crystal of yours isn't going to do me much good." Harry shrugged and smiled calmly as he gazed at the Remembrall.

"You never know, you might just remember one day. Matter of fact, why don't you take it? Trust me; I could probably score a lot of these in my own world. This can be yours. That way, you'll realize it when you regain all your memories just by holding this. Who knows? Maybe one day it will be as clear for you as it is for me." Thanking him, I quickly picked the crystal up again and tucked it away carefully into my jacket. Shockingly, I was already thinking that it meant something to me, simply due to Harry's friendly gesture. I heard a car pull into the driveway and an uncertain expression came over Harry's face. It was most likely his relatives and obviously he didn't imagine that it was a good idea to show the new neighbor to them so soon.

Harry quietly pointed to the window and helped me climb out of it as the front door slammed closed downstairs. I briefly caught the sound of Dudley's voice and I predicted he was telling his parents that a stranger was in the house. Hurriedly, I started moving downward, using a few untidy bricks to maneuver my way down the wall. It wasn't that hard, at least until I slipped while grabbing one of the bricks that was jutting from the wall. I felt my body fall into open air as the ground rushed up to meet me. A few words tumbled out of Harry's mouth, ones I assumed were part of his magic. Still, the only thing I could focus on was the ground as it came ever closer. I shut my eyes, anticipating that painful impact when my body suddenly stopped. I imagined that I did hit the ground and perhaps became unconscious; it could be the only reason why I never felt the hurtful landing. I opened my eyes slowly and immediately felt my mouth drop open. I was practically floating in midair inches from the ground and my body softly dropped to the ground. I instantly searched for Harry at his window and smiled when he waved his wand successfully at me. Shaking my head, I quickly started off for my house, but paused when Harry called down to me again.

"Sarah, not that I think about it, I think you owe me for that one. Come to think of it, that story about your accident wouldn't be bad payment. Besides, I told you about my parents." I considered this and nodded hurriedly, even though he probably couldn't see me all that well.

"Fine, I'll tell you tomorrow. Trust me, you'll get to hear all about it," I promised as I dashed off into the night, carefully protecting the crystal Remembrall, and trying to ignore the startling voices that were now erupting from Harry's house.


	7. Ballroom Dreams

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter series, nor do I own the movie Labyrinth. These ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson only. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **Merry Christmas everyone!! I have very little to do during the day so I chose to update! I am grateful for all the reviews, especially because they have inspired my story so much! Thanks to all the readers who are taking their time reading my story and I hope more reviews will come! Here's the next chapter and I am sorry if it is a little bit longer than the others. Anyway, happy holidays and enjoy the next chapter! (=

**Chapter Seven: Ballroom Dreams**

The clock struck midnight in the Underground as Jareth gazed down at his Labyrinth. The throne room behind him was silent, with only a few pairs of goblins rushing about. Jareth did not pay much attention to these senseless goblins; instead, he was slowly becoming lost in his own thoughts as he stared towards the intimidating walls of the Labyrinth far below.

He could easily recall the time when Sarah ran against the Labyrinth, so determined to best it and win back her brother, Toby. He also remembered how cruel he had been or tried to be, and how she had somewhat cowered before his power. Still, she had faced him, challenged him, and defeated him, a blow he almost could not bear. Now, she had not even a single memory of her adventures in the Underground, not even of him. The dreams he had cast upon her had not yielded any responses so far, and he was quickly becoming impatient. The image of Sarah floated to the surface of his mind and with it came a feeling of uneasiness, mainly for her current condition.

Behind him came soft footsteps, ones that were approaching the window where Jareth now stood. Irritation burst up inside of him as he reluctantly turned his head to the person—or thing—behind him, this goblin being Hoggle. With a scowl, Jareth waved his hand toward the goblin, allowing him to speak. Hoggle paused for a long moment before deciding how to start, again moving his grubby fingers over the beaded bracelet on his wrist. This conversation, Jareth instinctively knew, included Sarah.

"Your Majesty," Hoggle began in a rough, uneven voice. "I have taken to keeping an eye on the lady Sarah, as you commanded." When Hoggle stopped, Jareth felt even more annoyance, that of which he did not bother to hide from the goblin.

"And? What is it you've discovered, if anything at all, Hogarth?" Hoggle narrowed his eyes in instant irritation at the incorrect mention of his name.

"Hoogle, Your Majesty. Anyway, I have noticed that the lady is occupying herself with the young, curious wizard that resides close to her home. Your magic has not accomplished much, I'm afraid," Hoggle seemed to try to hide a small laugh when he mentioned this, s if he found it amusing that Jareth's power was of little use now. "Her head is as detached as that of a Firey." Jareth nodded solemnly before responding in a harsh manner.

"Of course, I am already aware of this information, Hogget. Surely, you were well aware of this?" Hoggle didn't make another attempt at correcting his name. He began shaking slightly, but he was determined to stay clam before Jareth. In truth, he was one of the only goblins that ever dared to show a hint of courage to the Goblin King. All others simply cowered and focused only on pleasing Jareth in any way possible. Surprisingly, Jareth found Hoggle's courage amusing and almost laughable. It was rare if any of the other goblins made so much as a small attempt to correct the Goblin King; doing so often made him angry or even downright furious. Now, he stared down at Hoggle in wonder as he stood fighting his fear against Jareth. Sadly, this spectacle was all because of Sarah, a fact that was difficult for Jareth to agree with. Jareth waited somewhat patiently for Hoggle to respond to the Goblin King's words.

"Well, yes, I was aware of that, Your Majesty. Yet, I felt it was right to confirm that there is no reaction at this point. As I've said, your magic has not been truly successful, Your Majesty." Jareth suddenly bit back a cruel remark, though he really did not know the reason for it. Maybe it was because he realized the truth in Hoggle's words; his magic, in fact, had not been that successful at all. Then, Hoggle's words sunk in even deeper and a new idea came to Jareth's mind. He conjured one of his crystals and brought forth the image of Sarah, dozing innocently in her bed. Jareth turned to face Hoggle once more, a strange gleam in his dark eyes.

"Perhaps you are right, Hoggle. Perhaps I simply need to force my power a bit more. A little stronger, and it just might work." Jareth started for the window again, shutting out the presence of Hoggle behind him. He used a stronger dose of magic and settled back to watch Sarah dream helplessly.

* * *

_I was dreaming again, I was sure of it. I felt that the atmosphere around me was somehow familiar, as if I had seen once before. I was in a gigantic, beautiful ballroom and there were white, crystal-like decorations everywhere. People danced and swayed across the floor and I joined them in the crowd. However, I was not dancing. I was looking for someone. A specific someone, though I didn't really know why I was looking for him. It was simply a desire or need to find him in that moment. Music gently surrounded me and I couldn't help but to lose myself in the melody. _

_ My eyes scanned the crowd desperately as I searched for that someone. Glancing down, I noticed that I was wearing an elegant, amazing white gown. I smiled softly at the sight of it as I continued through the groups of moving people. Many nodded to me or greeted me, but I paid them little attention; I wanted to find who I was looking for quickly. Somehow, I sensed he was close and that I would find him. _

_ Turning back around with the intent to search in another direction, I saw him standing close behind me, watching me with great interest. A smile played on his lips as he swiftly glided over to me. He was wearing a majestic mask, so I was unable to see many of the details concerning his face, except for his eyes. His eyes were dark, but they burned though me in that instant. Even without actually recognizing him, I knew that this was the person I was looking for in this ballroom. I willingly took his hand and gracefully moved along with him. That moment was one of perfect bliss and I wished it would not end soon. All I wanted to do now was dance with this person and stay in this crystal ballroom forever. I found myself getting lost in the music as I easily swayed along the floor, my white gown rustling softly on the floor. My heart was almost soaring as I focused on the person dancing with me, one I was sure I knew from a long time ago. _

_ Then, something caused this scene to change abruptly. The ballroom suddenly seemed too crowded and small. It felt like I was suffocating with all these strangers closing in on me. The person dancing with me was holding me tightly and I felt it was difficult to break his grip. I began looking all around me at the strange people who were coming ever closer. My eyes caught the sight of a large, ornate clock on the wall, and I realized that it was ready to strike midnight. Something about that clock made my heart beat faster than ever and I knew that I wanted to leave. The perfect moment in this ballroom had shattered and it was not where I was supposed to be right now. There was something else I had to do…_

_ I finally broke the hold that he had on me and I attempted to find a way out of this fantasy. This was all just a fantasy, nothing real or explainable. My mind threw me images of the clock, striking midnight, which was somehow fearful and intimidating. In the next second, I saw the breaking of glass walls as the fantasy was lifted away from me and darkness intruded my mind. _

* * *

I awoke instantly to the feeling of coldness and confusion. I was not in my bed as I should have been; instead, I was far away from my bedroom. I stared shocked at my position as I tried to make sense of what I saw in my dream. Somehow, some part of it made sense while other parts were a complete blur. The main thing I wanted to know was the identity of the person I was dancing with, the one I was so desperate to find. Why was I desperate to find that person in the first place if I didn't even recognize him? Still, there was something about him that seemed familiar. These thoughts whirled around my head as I focused on my surroundings.

I was in one of the bare rooms of our house, one that my mother had insisted on using for a kind of sewing room. There was a balcony in that room and it looked over the many houses near Privet Drive. Now, the balcony's doors were wide open and I was standing in the middle of it, drenched with cold rain. I covered my arms as I tried to come up with an explanation. I had probably been sleepwalking; it was the only explanation that made sense. Suddenly, my mother walked onto the balcony. I had the immediate feeling that she had been watching me as I somehow traveled onto this balcony. I wondered what it was I had been doing besides that to make her look so strangely at me. She wrapped her arms around me and, wordlessly, guided me back into the house. All the while, the rain kept beating against the glass as my mother tossed me suspicious looks. My own mind was racing with confusion and lack of understanding. What was that dream about? It had pleased me at one point and scared me the next. More than that, it was frightening to know that I had been hopelessly sleepwalking without even realizing it and that my mother's plans for me after observing this scene could be dangerous and unwanted.

* * *

My mother was intent on watching me like a hawk the next morning as I tried to pretend that everything was normal. I did what I always did in the mornings; I greeted Toby and took care of him for a while, and I didn't try as hard to skip out on breakfast. My stomach was growling like an avalanche and I hoped it would make my mother feel more at ease if I did as she wanted. Quickly swallowing down the cereal that I had poured for myself, I was praying that I could get out of the house before she began ranting about my behavior. As it goes, I guess I have very little luck in the mornings. My mother set down her cup of coffee and glared directly at me until I looked up to meet her cold eyes.

"Sarah, I was thinking," my mother started with a low, stern voice. I resisted the temptation of rolling my eyes at her, and instead allowed bitter thought to cross my mind. _Right, mother. Whenever you mention that you're 'thinking', it always means bad news for me._ I could almost swear that my mother could read my mind since she gave me a distasteful look. I briefly imagined that something had been clear in my face to make her look that way now, but I ignored it. I also made a mental note to myself about the fact that she was actually my step-mother and not my real mother. In my mind, if anyone should commit me to a facility for my behavior, it should be my father and not her. Still, I knew that was a long shot since she was usually the one who settled everything these days. I watched as my 'mother' gripped her coffee tightly and avoided my eyes before continuing.

"Anyway, Sarah, I was thinking mostly about what happened last night. I can't pretend it wasn't a drastic change in your behavior." I felt my hands grasp the edge of the table strongly as her words sunk in. _Drastic? That's the word you're using for my behavior? _ I didn't bother to respond to her. I knew she would go on ranting regardless of whatever I said to her. "Now, Sarah, do you actually remember what it is you were doing last night before I helped you off the balcony? I'm sure it was caused by some vibrant dream, but you must be aware of what you were doing." My mother shook her head at me, as if she pitied me. I thought back to my dream, of dancing around a ballroom and I could only imagine what I had been doing on the balcony. Shaking my head slowly at her and focusing on Toby, I waited for her to give her insight on this situation.

"Well, Sarah, you were acting…different when I caught you walking outside your room around midnight. I was actually heading towards the bathroom when I saw you. First off, you were roaming around the hallway as if you were looking fro something. Then, you glided into the sewing room and I decided to follow you. It was shocking to watch you in there; you were getting closer to the balcony and you were…you looked as though you were dancing with someone. In fact, you had your arms stretched out and you were actually twirling around the room. After that, you stopped for some reason and I thought you had woken up. Instead, you started for the balcony as if you were trying to get away from something. I suppose that's when you woke up, especially because all the rain was falling on you. That's when I stepped in to help you inside. See?"

"Well, forgive me if I was simply sleepwalking, mother." My mother glared openly at me as I finished my remark.

"Simply sleepwalking? You think this is simple, Sarah? It's not simple at all. Something had caused a change in your behavior and it could get worse I we don't try to help you. It could be serious." I threw my hands up in disgust as I stood up from the table. She wanted to help me? Easily, that meant she was planning on throwing me back into the facility. Why wouldn't she just give up?

"Okay, so now what? You're planning on putting me back into the facility, aren't you? There is nothing wrong with me and it was just sleepwalking. Plenty of people do it and they're not crazy!" I slammed down the cup of juice I was holding and headed for the door. My mother's voice called back to me.

"Sarah, I am still thinking about it. The facility just might help you more than simply living in a quiet neighborhood." I ran out the door, not wanting to listen to my mother's claims anymore. The only person I wanted to talk to now was Harry; at least he wasn't apt to judging me. I found him sitting on the bench in the garden, like he was the first time I met him. He smiled when he saw me and I felt better after getting away from the problems that now existed in my house. He waited for me to begin and I didn't waste any time.

"So, you still want to know about my accident? Trust me, it's not a pleasant story, but I did make a promise." With that, I began telling my story.


	8. Sarah's Story

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **The reviews you guys are giving me are amazing and, like always, they inspire my chapters each time. Thank you to all the readers who are enjoying this story and I hope the readers keep going! Here's the next chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys! (= 

**Chapter Eight: Sarah's Story**

_It was almost four months ago, the time of my accident and the fateful moment when I suffered memory loss. Surprisingly, I can recall the details of the accident, though it took a while for the foggy confusion in my mind to fade away after waking up in the hospital after the accident. Now, the scene in my mind is so perfect, it almost feels as if I am back there again, even though I would truly hate it if I were. _

_The details are actually simple to understand, but I despise them nonetheless. It was late at night and I was supposed to be watching Toby again, a responsibility I no longer complained about at that point. Still, that one night I neglected my responsibilities and that was the night when everything changed for me. In fact, it was a friend that convinced me to drop the babysitting act in the first place, though now I question myself constantly about my reasons for listening to her. In the simplest terms I can think of: I am a teenager and, therefore, am prone to mistakes. _

_Maybelline Simmons was indeed a friend that wasn't as close as I would have liked. She had tried to get me to go to a party with her on the night I was supposed to watch Toby. When I rejected her over the phone, she arrived at my house to further make an attempt in convincing me. The girl just doesn't give in easily; it's one of the qualities that makes her intimidating as a senior in high school. Maybelline rarely takes no for an answer, especially from someone like me. So, she brought along another friend, a college student that she had been seeing for the past few weeks and was now dragging to the party. In truth, I never really met him, but Maybelline obviously felt confident. To this day, I can still hear her high-pitched voice and see her flipping back her golden, corn silk hair as she argued with me. _

_"Come on, Sarah. It's only one party and I swear we'll be home by eleven at the latest. Don't you think you've babysat enough for one year?" Her 'boyfriend' stood by her side, not really paying attention to either one of us as I mentally planned out the multiple ways to block out the option of partying. How do you really explain the option of no partying to someone like Maybelline anyway? _

_"You already know that I can't. My parents will be home before eleven and I don't feel safe abandoning Toby when I am supposed to watch him. I can't just drop him and go partying with you, Maybelline. I'm sorry." Maybelline's face crossed into one of distaste and irritation due to the fact that she wasn't getting her way. Taking a few steps toward me, her stony gaze centered on me and she apparently wasn't ready to back down. _

_"Please, Sarah. You have taken care of Toby more times than I can count on both our hands combined. Seriously, I think you deserve a break and you can do just that when you agree to party for a while. It's time to act less like a mother and more like a teenager. Besides, we can always leave Toby to a neighbor or something." I looked down at Toby, who was playing on the ground happily and reluctantly considered the idea of leaving him to one of my neighbors. A couple of them had watched Toby in the past, so why not that night? Maybelline was right in saying that I had taken care of Toby countless times and perhaps I did deserve a break. Like a cliché, irresponsible teenager, I agreed to Maybelline's request and left the house in anticipation of spending the night at a long, unending party. _

* * *

_In my defense, I was not the one driving home that night. Then again, I should have known better than to let Maybelline have the car keys. She was one of the teenagers that usually partied the hardest and her college boyfriend was no help with that at all. In the end, to let Maybelline drive us home should have been termed a suicide attempt since she was a little more than tipsy before we reached the car. I was a little buzzed as well and my head was slowly spinning as I landed myself in the backseat. All I wanted to do was arrive home safely and see Toby, at least before my parents got home and realized I wasn't there. _

_Maybelline drove like a maniac through the streets toward our neighborhood. The party was located a few miles outside the town we lived in and it was an ideal place since cops rarely patrolled that area. I laid my head back on the seat and tried to clear my head. I started thinking about something then, something that now escaped my memory. Whatever those thoughts included in the last few seconds of our safety, it was something that felt comfortable to me and calming. It was when I was thinking those thoughts that I missed the first set of headlights flooding through the windshield. Maybelline was still singing the last few notes of a song on the radio when she noticed the lights in front of her. My eyes shot open and my heart went into overdrive as everything seemed to move in slow motion. _

_Maybelline gripped the steering wheel as she attempted to take control of the car, but it was too late for that. Her boyfriend threw his arms in front of his face as if he was simply waited for the impact of the accident. My hands tightened on the car's door handle as I focused on the speeding car ahead of us. The light almost blinded me, but I couldn't take my eyes away, even as I realized the outcome. Regret flowed through my mind in those last few seconds before we hit head on with the speeding vehicle. _

'Oh, I should have stayed home with Toby. I should not be here in this car facing the threat of an accident. I should not have agreed to leave the house for a party. I should not have listened…I should not have…'_ The regrets pounded through my brain as we crashed directly into the car that as coming at us, but I still took everything in with perfect clarity. Maybelline's head flew forward as it collided with the steering wheel and her body went limp right before the glass crushed and shattered. The other car spun into the side of our car and it took me a minute before I discovered that I had been injured as a result of this damage. _

_My head snapped back as my whole body began to feel as if it were on fire. My legs ached and burned with pain as the other car halted after the collision. A warm, wet substance rolled down the side of my head and I imagined it was only water or sweat instead of my own blood. My vision went in and out as I fought the inevitable unconsciousness. The last image in my mind that I saw was of a person, and now I realize that this person, who appeared in my mind before all consciousness faded away, was the same exact person that has been haunting my dreams. _

* * *

I stopped telling my story and waited for Harry's reaction. He looked mildly surprised by the events of my accident and now he stared at me in wonder. His smile was thin as he chose his words carefully.

"I take it you never made contact with Maybelline again, did you? It wasn't really your fault that you got into that accident, you know." A brief grin crossed my face and I felt a little better knowing he was trying to make me feel better about the whole situation. Brushing back a dark piece of hair from my eyes, I concentrated on him as I sorted out my thoughts.

"After the accident, Maybelline suffered a few injured bones and a minor head injury. I never spoke to her again before I moved here, mainly because I was trying to convince myself that it really was her fault for the accident in the first place. By the way, it is somewhat my fault; I mean, I agreed to go to that party."

"Right, but you weren't that speeding driver that crashed into your friend's car. You weren't a drunken Maybelline that decided to drive home, either. The way I see it, it has little to do with you and nearly everything to do with the other forces in this world." His words made sense to me, but I couldn't help but to explore them further.

"You mean to tell me that you think it was fate that I lost my memory and that I was involved in an accident when I should have been watching my younger brother." Harry gave me a skeptical look before responding. In truth, his words gave me a sense of comfort that I could never find from someone like my mother.

"Well, look at it this way. If you hadn't lost your memory and you hadn't gotten into that accident, you wouldn't be here talking to me and we probably wouldn't have met." Harry showed off a large smile as he finished this statement and I instantly found the truth in his words. Maybe there were some good things that came with that accident, ones I didn't realize before. Now, I appreciated theses positive factors and closed my eyes as I lifted my face to the sun. The only question I wanted answered now was the one that concerned that person I kept seeing in my dreams and the person I somehow knew before the night of my accident.

* * *

Jareth focused on the images he was seeing in one of his crystals. He had caught wind of the fact that Sarah was ready to tell her story and had listened in anticipation of finding some answers. Now, he had them and he also realized that his magic had taken a toll on her. It appeared that she wanted to know more about him or at least the person she saw in her dreams. Jareth concentrated as he reminded himself not to rush the progress that was building in Sarah. Leaning back against the window, his thoughts took an unpleasant turn.

Despite the fact that progress was showing, Sarah's mother seemed to have a different idea for her. It nearly pained Jareth to know that he was the cause of Sarah's new problems. If anything, he certainly did not want to consider the idea of allowing her to be locked away in what her mother called a facility. It seemed, to say the least, unfair. Jareth smiled a bit while he recalled those words Sarah had uttered so often during her time in the Labyrinth; that life was not fair and acted especially cruel to her. Maybe there was some truth in that complaint after all. As the memory slipped away, Jareth created a new plan, one that he would not wait to use. He had the sudden urge to see Sarah beyond the effects of his crystals, if only to know she was decent at the moment. That was what he would do then, as if the goblins would ever mind that he suddenly decided to leave for a while. As the crystal in his hand disappeared, Sarah's beautiful image remained in Jareth's mind and he began humming a slow song that had only existed once in a crystal ballroom.

* * *

Dinner that night was filled with tension and I could hardly bear it. My mind raced with thoughts about Harry, my accident, and especially the stranger in my dreams. It was consuming every bit of my focus, trying to figure out who that person was that I simply longed for. It was getting so troublesome that I didn't pay any attention to my food; instead, I pushed it along my plate and ignored the glares from my mother. She tried to keep her head down as she carefully ate her dinner, but there were times when she would aim her stern looks at me, as if there was something I should feel bad or guilty about. Then, the conversation from this morning entered my mind and I suddenly knew why my mother was looking at me that way. Toby was oblivious to the tension in the air as he grabbed some of his food and gobbled down pieces of it. My father watched him for a long moment before awkwardly looking towards me. Apparently, he felt the tension that existed here and I only hoped he would not make it worse by seeing eye to eye with my mother. Right then, my father put down his fork and I assumed he would head into the kitchen and proclaim that he was finished with dinner. Instead, he decided it was the moment to break the heavy silence.

"Sarah, your mother and I have been talking and there's something we wish to discuss with you. We think now is the time to talk about it." I did not make eye contact as I started eating the lukewarm food on my plate. I also couldn't help the sharp tone that accompanied my words. I already knew what they wanted to talk to me about and I was ready to make it clear that I was not interested whatsoever.

"She told you about last night. More than that, she probably told you she wants to place me in the facility again and you are going to agree with her. I don't agree." My father's face turned red as he was struck by my words. I hated fighting with my father, but it was always because of her that we argued. My mother just sat at the other end of the table and folded her hands neatly before her with a thin smile curving her lips. Disgust and irritation burst up at the very sight of her now. She obviously assumed she would get her way, unless I could say something to change my father's mind. Still, with her twisting him around her finger, that would be close to impossible. Now, he stepped closer to me and spoke in a softer tone.

"Sarah, I realize that your idea of the facility isn't pleasant. However, it could help you more than we could here. Think about it; you've been distant, sleepwalking, not eating right…" At this point, his voice trailed away as he spotted the outraged expression covering my face. I knew immediately that this information had come directly from my mother. I glared at her sternly before I spoke, intent on protesting against this matter.

"What? I don't have a problem with eating. I just happened to skip a couple breakfasts because of the fact that I actually have a friend on this street. Forgive me if I happen to think that being social with people my age is more important than a simple breakfast. That's all that is. There's nothing wrong with me!" My voice grew much louder as I continued arguing with my father, all the while sending hurtful looks towards my mother. My father raised his hand to stop me from going on and I reluctantly turned silent.

"What you are saying makes sense, Sarah. It does. However, that's not what your mother has been telling me. She tells me you've been refusing to eat, just like you were a few minutes ago when you were just pushing your food on your plate. I suppose you also have a decent explanation for the vivid sleepwalking?" Now the two of them stared at me, expecting an answer immediately. _Vivid sleepwalking? Where the hell did they come up with that term? _

"Actually, I do have an explanation. It was sleepwalking. I am certain that tons of people have experienced sleepwalking and no one is rushing to place them in a mental hospital. So, why me? That isn't fair." My father sighed as he tried to figure out what he was going to say. My mother appeared disappointed as she slowly shook her head, as if she expected me to put up more of an argument than that. My father ran a hand threw his untidy hair and then focused on me again.

"First of all, it isn't a mental hospital at all. It's a facility where professionals will be able to help you and figure out what's wrong with you. Maybe we could make more progress if we consider the facility. Second of all, sleepwalking is a mild thing, yes, but the way your mother explains it does not sound at all mild. It sounds as if there is something we should be dealing with. Third of all, regardless if this is fair or not, this is the option we are choosing to take, Sarah. I wish you'd agree with me for once." I leaned back in my chair as I took in these words and discarded them instantly. Now, my mother stood up and glided over to where my father stood. Anger built up inside me until I could barely conceal it.

"Exactly. This is the option _you_ are choosing to take, not me. I don't want this and you should consult me before deciding to move me away! It isn't fair at all that you only listen to her! Why listen to me at all, especially since I'm only a teenager and—in case you've forgotten—I'm usually the one who cares for Toby most of the time! If you send me away, then what will happen to him? I'm the one who acts like his mother in the first place, but still you agree with her!" My father stepped forward, an angry look now present on his face. Clearly, he didn't like the idea of me going against my mother at all.

"Sarah, this is not about Toby. This is about you. Besides, he's already got a mother in this house and that surely is not you, Sarah. Now, this is the idea your mother and I have agreed to and it's what we think is best for you. That's final, Sarah." I clenched my fists as fury swept threw me.

"Just agree with her. You always agree with her! I hate it! You always agree with her!" At this moment, before I realized what I was doing, I had furiously slammed my hands against the table and sent the glass plates crashing to the floor where they shattered into millions of pieces. My mother covered her mouth lightly in pretend horror, though I was sure she was secretly enjoying my outburst since it added one more reason to the idea of the facility. My father shook his head just like my mother had as I rushed out of the room, leaving them to think over what had happened. I stormed up to my bedroom and threw open the door with such force that I was surprised it didn't come off the hinges. Then, all the anger and fury left me like a whirlwind as I realized that, in my bedroom, I had a visitor.


	9. Otherworld Complications

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who own these ideas completely are Jim Henson and J.K. Rowling. I basically own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **Thank you again for all the reviews of my last chapter and now here is the next chapter. Apparently things are getting good in my story and many of the reviews have greatly inspired me with new ideas! So, I hope the readers enjoy the next chapter and remember to review afterwards! Your reviews are very important to my story and are very much appreciated! Enjoy! (=

**Chapter Nine: Otherworld Complications**

In reality, I had _two_ visitors in my bedroom, both of which seemed somehow familiar to me, though I could not place them in my mind. I unsteadily made my way to my bed and found one of my visitors jumping on the bed, the other just standing awkwardly at the edge of the bed. My mind reeled as I tried to figure out what was going on or why it was happening. Just then, the visitor that was jumping on my bed, one that looked like some kind of dog, faced me and began speaking in a somewhat squeaky voice.

"My lady, I must say this is an incredibly fun activity. You should try it some time." Then, the visitor continued jumping while the other visitor, one whose appearance was very unpleasant, rolled his eyes. None of them spoke up again, so I figured it was my turn to start.

"That's great, but what exactly are you in my bedroom right now? By the way, what exactly are you?" The dog or whatever it was stopped jumping and looked shocked. The other visitor—I still had no clue what he was—looked down at the floor, as if he no longer wanted to be there at that moment. The dog stepped off the bed and stared up at me; he was very small and barely came up to my knees while standing. In his small voice, he slowly responded.

"Why, my lady Sarah, you truly do not remember us? Well, then, that explains why you have stopped calling us. Anyhow, I am the one they call Sir Didymus, of course." He stopped there, not giving reason for his visit. Still, I couldn't help but to examine him further; he was one of the strangest visitors I had ever had before.

"What are you supposed to be? A dog or a small fox?" Didymus opened his mouth to speak, but the other visitor interrupted all of a sudden. He took a few steps closer before stopping next to Sir Didymus, who still had a shocked expression on his face.

"To answer your other question, we are here simply because we are concerned about you. That's the gist of it, at least. By the way, my name's Hoggle, not that anyone really remembers it." Hoggle looked down at the floor again and allowed his words to sink in. I looked back at Sir Didymus, who was now nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Wait a minute. You're concerned about me? Why is that?" My two visitors exchanged uncomfortable looks and I had a feeling this wasn't going to include good news. I felt my stomach drop a bit at the thought of more bad news, but I tried not to show it. Finally, Hoggle met my eyes again and began to explain.

"You see, we've been watching you for some time, just to make sure everything was decent. It seems everything isn't as decent as you'd like it to be. We know about your dreams and what's causing them, even if you don't. We also know about your lack of memory from that most unfortunate accident." Hoggle nodded his head and stopped speaking. I didn't know why I was ready to explain what was happening with my situation, but I felt an unexplainable sense of comfort rising inside me in the next instant. Still, I remembered the anger that had previously burst inside of me while thinking about my mother's plans.

"Well, you are right. Things in my situation aren't really…decent. I can't remember much of anything and many of the memories are trying to come back, but I just can't reach them. Then, these dreams start up and they all seem familiar somehow, but it's beginning to take a toll on me. I'm always so tired now because the dreams don't offer me any real sleep. More than that, I don't even really understand these dreams at all. And now, my mother has convinced my father that I have uncontrollable problems due to my dreaming and sleepwalking, and she wants to place me in the facility that I stayed in after my accident. To me, that place isn't very pleasant at all. So, apparently, things are not decent whatsoever!" I stopped to take a breath and watched as the faces of my visitors changed to ones full of grief, sympathy, and concern. Hoggle did not answer to my claims, instead looking towards Sir Didymus. The small fox caught on quickly and realized it must be his turn to explain these problems away.

"Well, my lady, the dreams are actually quite simple to explain. You see, it's all because of Jar—" Hoggle shut Didymus up immediately by covering his mouth, not caring if the fox attempted to fight him off. In a low, gravelly voice, Hoggle scolded Didymus.

"What did we say? We said we wouldn't mention his name to her, not yet. I don't care what he wants; we will not mention him that way." Sir Didymus gasped for air and Hoggle finally released him. Didymus shook his head irritably and then looked back up at me as if nothing had happened.

"Right. The dreams are being caused by our king, the Goblin King. He wants you to remember something very dear, something you used to know. I don't think we're allowed to speak of it to you, are we?" At this point, Sir Didymus turned to Hoggle questioningly and Hoggle shook his head once. I took in these words and pieces began to come together. I pointed towards Hoggle before responding to this explanation.

"So, if that's true, then you must be…a goblin. Am I right?" Hoggle reluctantly nodded only once and avoided my eyes. The sudden realization seemed familiar, and I became instantly annoyed that I could not remember all those things I used to know. Dozens of questions roamed my mind without any source of an answer.

"What does he want me to remember? Please, tell me." Hoggle looked sympathetic, but he still shook his head. Sir Didymus tugged at my jeans to gain my attention before speaking.

"As I've said, we are not allowed to speak directly of it. Trust me; it would not be a good idea to anger the Goblin King. Anyhow, we felt the need to speak to you in person, so that we might explain these problems. If I must say, it's all his fault for causing the dreams and everything. By the way, we also know about the young wizard you have befriended. I don't think our king likes that very much." My heart raced as all these confessions came forth and I thought again of Harry. I was still hoping that spending time with him would eventually jog my memory about the things I had forgotten. My visitors said no more about him after that. Sir Didymus did most of the talking while Hoggle simply encouraged him to continue, occasionally allowing me to ask more questions.

"Okay, so how exactly are you able to see me?" Hoggle motioned towards the mirror that stood near the window of my room. In his uneven voice, he answered my question.

"The mirror allows us to see you through our world, so we can keep a watch on you. It can also help you should you need us. I mean, all you need to do is call. It's that simple, really." I recalled a moment when I had been in my room and I had caught the reflection of something else in my mirror. I now wondered if this had been one of my visitors. The two of them looked uneasy and admitted that it was almost time for them to leave and that they could not stay, especially if their king were to look for them. It seemed that these two had come to visit me without his permission. As they moved closer to the mirror, I caught the sight of the Remembrall and carefully picked it up, observing the red smoke that formed inside it. Still, the red smoke seemed less crimson and less in quantity than before, almost as if this latest visit had helped me. I smiled softly and, without turning, called out to my two visitors.

"Thank you, Hoggle, Sir Didymus." Turning back to my bedroom, I realized that it was suddenly empty and quiet. It was amazing to think of this recent scene and the two visitors. I imagined that things would only get stranger, especially if I looked to unravel my lost memories. It didn't seem so bad now that I knew the reason for the dreams. I wondered if the person in my dreams was in fact the Goblin King they spoke of, and I knew before I finished the thought that it was true. Rotating the magic Remembrall in my hands, I sought to bring more of my memories to the surface. My concentration was only broken by the sight of a small, red book that had been placed near my mirror. The book looked old and defunct, but the black lettering on the cover of the book was still readable. In fact, the lettering on the book stated only one word: "Labyrinth".

* * *

Harry was, as usual, holed up in his bedroom and he was staring glumly down at two letters in his hand that had arrived only moments ago. Hedwig was cleaning her feathers and screeching every now and again when she wanted attention. Harry occasionally glanced at Hedwig, but otherwise paid little attention to her. The letters, sent by Hermione and Ron, managed to consume every bit of Harry's focus. He reread the letters even though he had already read them at least four times. As his eyes roamed over the fine words that were printed on the parchment, he realized he was in trouble. Taking a deep breath, he chose to reread Hermione's letter first.

_'Dear Harry, _

_I hope you are well and I hope you have not been acting more reckless than usual. The remaining members of the Order have gotten recent word that you've been practicing magic outside Hogwarts. What is it that you've been up to? Not more Dementors, I hope? Harry, it's extremely important that you keep your use of magic to a minimum now, especially since there have been stories of Death Eaters going about. Besides that, the Ministry is greatly upset with your actions (though I am positive you have good reasoning), and Dumbledore is making an attempt to clear your name at this moment. Please do not do anything you would probably regret later; there's no sense in getting expelled from Hogwarts now. _

_On another subject, I just heard about your new neighbor. I assume she is a Muggle and her situation does seem a bit curious. I have looked in numerous books for peculiar conditions concerning memory loss, but I cannot find anything particularly strange about her condition. Still, something does not seem right about it and I am glad you are trying to help her. By the way, how is she? I hope to hear more about her; she seems like an interesting Muggle to say the least. Maybe spending time with a person of normalcy will encourage you to stop using magic outside Hogwarts—unless she knows, that is. But then, that would be very terrible if a Muggle knew about our world. I hope I'm not depressing you too much with this letter, Harry. Anyhow, I hope to hear from you soon—and please write back with a lengthy letter this time! It concerns me that we're hearing very little from you. I also hope your lack of notice does not concern your sudden loss, though you already know I feel incredibly sorry. You should hurry and write back as soon as you can! _

_Yours truly, _

_Hermione.' _

Harry tossed this letter aside and, despite Hermione's attempt at comforting words, felt incredibly solemn after reading her letter. He then sat on the edge of his bed to read Ron's letter, which wasn't as depressing as Hermione's letter.

_'Dear Harry, _

_We just heard about you tonight. Using magic outside school again, hmmm? I'm not too worried about it myself, though the Order seems bothered by it. Don't worry, mate. Dumbledore's heading to the Ministry tomorrow to straighten it all out. Dad isn't that worried, either. He still thinks the best of you, even when Mum is racking her brains with worry for you (then again, Dad uses spends all his time and magic on the Muggles, know how he has that obsession with them.) Fred and George are having a good laugh about the whole situation, spreading talk about how it's something they would do. Mum already scolded them three times. Hermione is most likely going to send you this long, depressing letter and she will scold you about the whole situation. Bloody hell, she'll probably head over to the library for something. What's a little magic here and there, mate? Hope to hear from you real soon (or Mum will really be driven up the wall)! _

_Ron.'_

Harry had to laugh at Ron's letter, especially because he was always right when it came down to what Hermione would do. Looking back down at Hermione's sad letter, Harry didn't feel that bad anymore. He thought about going down to the kitchen to grab some food; the Dursleys had gone out again and would not be back until later. That was when Harry heard a soft set of footsteps coming up the stairs. Harry immediately stood up and reached for his wand. Then again, what if it was Sarah? Still, he didn't think Sarah would quietly break into his house and move silently along as if she didn't want to be heard. No, this was someone else. Harry gripped his wand in front of him and waited for the footsteps to stop near his door. He took in a deep breath while preparing himself for whatever was coming. Everything was silent, at least until the door burst inward and seemed to shatter into thousands of splinters. Someone behind the broken door growled and complained about what had happened.

"Seriously, don't you imagine it would have been easier just to knock on the door instead of blowing it up? Though you do seem to have a knack for that kind of stuff." Harry recognized the voice immediately and felt his hand release his wand a bit. The two visitors stepped lightly into the room and Harry instantly felt excitement and happiness swell up inside him. The one who spoke, Lupin, smiled brightly towards Harry while the other visitor, Tonks, greeted Harry warmly.

"Wotcher, Harry. We've come to check on you. Sorry about the door; it seems like something Hagrid would have done." Harry laughed as he embraced Tonks and then Lupin before taking a step back to admire them. Tonks was a petite witch who normally sported various colors of hair and faces; she was the kind of witch who could change her appearance at will. Unusually, she was currently sporting a dark, mousy shade of hair that was shorter than Harry had ever seen it. Tonks was one of the witches that Harry greatly respected, also because of the fact that she was an Auror. Harry still kept his idea of becoming an Auror in the back of his mind. Strangely, Harry watched as Tonk's expression went from one of happiness to one of plain sorrow. It was always a strange thing when Tonks was feeling low in spirits. Instead of wonder about this—even though Harry figured it had something to do with Sirius's death—he turned his attention to Lupin.

Lupin wasn't any better than Tonks at the moment. He was a basic werewolf, occasionally transforming whenever there was a full moon, and now he had deep scars running down his face. His clothes were somewhat ragged-looking, but they looked worse than usual. His eyes weren't as bright or wise as they usually looked. Instead, his eyes looked tired and depressing; much like Hermione's letter had been for Harry. Apparently, it was becoming a difficult time for everyone in the Wizarding world. Harry suddenly thought to respond to Tonks and hoped their visit wouldn't be too crucial.

"Don't mind the door. Besides, you could probably repair it with the flick of your wand. Actually, I was kind of wondering what you two were doing here in the first place." Tonks gave a thin smile before turning back to the door, muttering a small spell, and fixing the door until it was good as new. Lupin looked disapprovingly at Tonks for a moment before speaking.

"Well, Harry, the flicking of wands is the reason why we are here tonight. The members of the Order heard that you have been using magic outside school. Since this is a dangerous time for everyone who is not a Death Eater, we assumed there was some trouble here. So, we've been sent to check on you and see that you're not…ummm…in trouble." Lupin nodded his head and Tonks moved slowly around the room. Harry hoped her clumsiness would not cause damage to anything in the room before the Dursleys returned. Looking back at Lupin, he nodded once.

"Yeah, well, I'm perfectly fine. I know I shouldn't be doing magic outside Hogwarts—"

"That's exactly right. You shouldn't be doing magic outside school, Harry. You have made us fear the worst when we heard you were using magic; I swear, we thought Death Eaters had finally discovered you. It's terrible thinking that," Tonks stated clearly, not bothering to apologize for interrupting Harry. Lupin motioned for Harry to continue what he had been saying.

"—but it was very simple magic, after all. It was mainly to fix my glasses and I never figured the Ministry would take incredible offense, especially since they should be busy with the Death Eaters and Voldemort." Lupin nodded with understanding, but Harry's focus was taken by Tonks speaking up again.

"Harry, please don't say the name. You mean You-Know-Who." Harry rolled his eyes at Tonks and turned back to Lupin, who seemed to be considering Harry's words.

"Harry, I understand what it is you're saying and I know you mean well. However, it is a very difficult time and it would make us feel much better if you were not performing magic this way and that. You are right; the Ministry should be focusing on the matters concerning Death Eaters and…Lord Voldemort, but they aren't. They don't want to realize that he is returning to power and the fact that you do is incredibly strong and important. We can't risk losing that piece simply because you needed to fix your glasses, Harry. Understood?" Tonks looked curiously at Harry, waiting for his response. For some reason, Harry felt a spark of irritation building up.

"Right, I understand that. The second time I used magic was when I saved my friend. She lives across the street and she slipped while climbing down from my window. Had I not used magic, she could have been seriously hurt. I don't think that's reckless at all." Lupin settled himself on the edge of Harry's mattress and put his head in his hands. Clearly, Harry had said something wrong. Going over his words in his mind, he realized the problem. He had forgotten that Sarah was a Muggle. Tonks sighed and placed a hand against her forehead. Lupin picked his head up again and Harry saw that he was trying to remain calm.

"Harry, it is indeed reckless if it concerns a Muggle. I know you only used magic in the goodness of protecting her as a friend, but it is a Muggle. Having a Muggle holding the secret of our world could be drastic. Anyhow, I can see the matter is clear that there I no danger. However, it should not prevent us from carrying out the task that was placed on our shoulders tonight. Better pack up your possessions, Harry." Confusion flooded Harry as Tonks began sweeping up random items with her wand and aiming them towards Harry's trunk, often knocking over other items in the process. Lupin got to his feet, only pausing when Harry voiced his next question.

"Wait, why? Where are we going? I can't just leave, not while I promised to help Sarah!" Lupin stopped and exchanged looks with Tonks. She had paused in her task of using magic to gather Harry's items and was now staring at Lupin with questions in her eyes. Lupin took his time answering and seemed to choose his words carefully.

"Harry, we are bringing you to the Burrow tonight. We imagine you will be more comfortable there. Since this friend of yours already knows about our world, and you did make a promise to help her, I guess it would not hurt to include her as well." Tonks exclaimed out against Lupin's idea while Harry smiled victoriously towards Lupin. The matter was settled: both Harry and Sarah would be leaving for the Burrow. Harry considered heading over to her place at that moment, but instead helped straighten out his room and put together the rest of his things. Finally, Lupin made Harry's things vanish with another flick of his wand and then smiled softly down at Harry.

"Well, Harry, are you ready? I believe it's time to leave, you and your friend both."


	10. Leaving

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series of Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. These ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N:** Again, I want to thank all the readers who have given me amazing reviews; they actually gave me some new ideas for later chapters! I also hope those reviews keep coming and that the readers enjoy the next chapter of my story! (= 

**Chapter Ten: Leaving **

The Goblin King was waiting for Hoggle and Didymus in the throne room, quietly pacing back and forth. He contemplated what he would say to them and how he would react; he was already reaching towards annoyance. By the time they actually arrived, quickly entering the throne room before stopping in front of Jareth, his annoyance was stretching towards anger. He did not wait to hear their explanation, instead speaking fiercely before them.

"Hogwart, Didymus. It is about time you returned. Have I not told you before not to interfere with Sarah yet? You went against my orders and visited her. I'm sure you are both wondering what kind of punishment I will show you this time." Hoggle smirked at the wrong name Jareth used for him and Didymus only stared at him with either wonder or some kind of shame. The two exchanged quick glances before Hoggle spoke up to defend their actions, even though they knew it would make little difference.

"Well, Your Majesty, we were…worried about the girl. Her situation is much worse than you think. Her guardian is planning on sending her to a…facility, I'm sure she said. The dreams you have cast on her are causing more damage than good, I'm afraid. By the way, she wanted to know about you; at least she did when we mentioned you." Jareth paused when he heard Hoggle's last words and seemed to be thinking about something else for a moment. Then, his expression once again became stern and he appeared more interested in what Hoggle was saying. Didymus remained quiet beside Hoggle as Jareth responded.

"What else can you tell me about your discoveries, Hoggle?" Silence followed as Hoggle took in the fact that Jareth had gotten his name right. He began stuttering before he actually managed to form words.

"Well, Sarah has told the wizard about her accident. There was something else, too…Oh, yes. She is leaving with the wizard to go someplace else." Hoggle stopped and waited for Jareth's response, as if his explanation stated everything there was about the discovery. Didymus finally looked up and stared back and forth between Jareth and Hoggle. Jareth tried to remain clam and keep the hint of strain from his voice, but he knew it would not work.

"Hoggle, where exactly is she going? Do you mean she is leaving her house and abandoning her family?" Didymus edged forward, absorbed in the conversation. When Hoggle did not speak to answer Jareth's question, Didymus interrupted for the first time since he returned.

"Actually, I would never refer to it as 'abandoning'. However, you are correct in saying that she is leaving her family behind. In fact, she is going with the wizard and I fear it is because she knows too much. Curiosity killed the cat…I think that is how the Aboveground quote goes." Didymus's words trailed away as he began muttering and then settled back to watch what would happen next. Disbelief covered Jareth's face as he tried to make sense of this information. Hoggle looked as he had in Sarah's bedroom; it appeared that he was wishing to be anywhere but in the throne room at that moment. When Jareth finally spoke, his face was unreadable and countless thoughts were filling his mind.

"You tell me that my magic—the magic that has caused Sarah's dreams in hopes of her recovering those lost memories—is dangerous and dealing her misfortune? It seems your travels have done very little to help her as well. I cannot even begin to think of what this actually means." Hoggle stepped slowly away, as if he was thinking about escaping any minute. Didymus remained in the same spot, shame taking place of the amusement that had existed on his face a moment ago. Despite the uncomfortable feeling that was filling the air, Hoggle took his turn in questioning the Goblin King; he was certain they could not be in a worse situation than the one they were in now.

"Your Majesty, our travels were only meant for good, much like your magic. It was a simple mistake, and I am confidant that we will discover her whereabouts again soon. Plus, her memory has improved since you first placed the dreams over her. Surely you are not still thinking about visiting her now, are you? By the way, what about the punishment?" Didymus made a small squeaking noise as he turned to face Hoggle with pure shock at the willing mention of their punishment. Jareth's face became calm as he went over all these details in his mind. His voice no longer held the hint of annoyance or strain.

"I do no think it is a good idea to visit her without the certainty of her new whereabouts. I will not be visiting her anytime soon. Since you two have made one trip already, I am giving you temporary permission to search for her, only in the hope that you will discover her whereabouts and any other information you can find. Your punishment will be postponed for now. If you were wise, you would start searching now, the both of you." The two realized they had been excused and they dashed from the throne room, leaving Jareth to his disturbed thoughts.

* * *

I was still gripping the red book tightly, studying it and its familiar pages, when a sharp rapping came from my window. I hastily dropped the mysterious book on my bed and pushed back the light curtains to reveal Harry, who was currently positioned on my windowsill. I felt a wave of surprise that eventually transformed into confusion. I quickly allowed Harry into my room and I found that questions were already buzzing around my head. Before I could ask one, Harry started speaking, his words taking me by surprise.

"Sarah, listen. We don't have much time and it would be too difficult to explain now. I was caught doing magic and now other wizards have come for me, for my own good. I had to tell them about you and I've gotten them to agree to taking you along as well. That's why I'm here." Harry finished and took a breath. I could only stand there and gape at him in shock. His explanation had not silenced my questions at all, but I was too stunned to speak. An awkward look passed over Harry's face and I tried to focus on what he was telling me.

"Wait, hold on a minute. Who came for you? Why do I have to leave? I can't just leave my family now, especially Toby…" I thought again of my brother, someone I cared for each day and the only thing that kept me sane around here. He was so innocent, always depending on me to take care of him, and I couldn't just abandon him. Harry coughed to gain back my attention before answering my stream of questions.

"Well, a couple wizards came for me tonight—they're actually friends of mine in the Wizarding World. They thought I had been attacked by my enemies, known as the Death Eaters. You have the option of leaving because they think you know too much about our world to be left alone now. Plus, it won't be like you're abandoning your family; you'll be able to see them again. This is only…temporary." Harry paused to wait for my reaction, or maybe to see if I had any more questions, which I did.

"You said I have the option, right? So, I can choose to stay, can't I? Besides, what exactly are Death Eaters? Furthermore, when will I be able to see my family again?" Harry suddenly looked pressured by my questioning; worried lines had crossed his forehead and he rubbed at his temples before continuing. I hoped I wasn't bothering him too much by my instant questions.

"I'm not exactly sure when you'll be allowed to see your family again; we can't put an exact time on how long you'll be gone or with us. As for the subject of Death Eaters, I don't think now's the best time to explain all that. As I said before, it's your option, but from what the other wizards have explained, you'll probably be in danger if you stay here without me. By the way, it'll give you a chance to escape from the option of the facility." Harry smiled softly at me as he finished, as if he knew what these last words really meant to me. To get away from my mother's plans is irresistible in more ways than I could count and I could almost jump for that. Still, the lingering thought of Toby rested in my mind and it made me hesitant to make that jump. Harry saw my hesitation and spoke as if reading my thoughts.

"Toby will be absolutely fine, trust me. Right now, I'm worried about you and what might happen if you don't leave with me. To put it simply, you're a Muggle who knows too much and it isn't safe here anymore. Where we're going is incredible and something a Muggle like you wouldn't want to miss." Harry stepped back and turned to my bed, where he began examining the mysterious red book. Clearly, he was waiting for me to agree and somehow he knew I would. Glancing around my room again, I couldn't help but to voice a few more questions.

"Depends, can I bring a few things with me? By the way, how are you planning on taking care of my family? I mean, they're obviously going to notice that I'm gone. I don't think my father or mother would want to deal with me as a runaway; to them, I'm already crazy." Harry laughed at my final words and nodded, but I didn't know which question he was answering. As if sensing my confusion, he put his agreement into words.

"Clearly, I don't imagine why you can't bring a few things with you. O answer your second question, the wizards that have come for me are using Memory Charms on your parents as we speak. They're trying to use a small dose of magic, in hopes of being able to return your parents' memories to normal afterwards. Now, we should be leaving; time isn't really on our side." I nodded vigorously at him and moved quickly. I grabbed up a large backpack and stuffed in a few pairs of clothing, money that I saved up in the past few months, the red book, and I carefully packed the Remembrall in the front pocket of the backpack. Looking around, I nodded to Harry to tell him that I was ready.

The two of us headed for my bedroom window and Harry stopped me before I could climb out onto the windowsill. A faint roaring noise reached my ears and soon it grew louder. Eventually, the sound came as close as my window and I felt my mouth drop open as I saw a dark blue car fly up to my window. Harry tilted hi head at it while a teenage boy with red hair waved at him. Harry seemed to have more control than me because he felt no hesitation in speaking to the driver.

"I thought we lost this car in the Forbidden Forest, remember?" I immediately felt the familiar sense of confusion and decided not to join in on the conversation. The red-haired boy laughed and pointed to the car.

"Dad had another one fixed up last week. The again, he didn't know I would be driving it tonight, so let's manage to get it home safely. Come on then, climb in." Harry took my hand and helped me into the backseat before climbing into the passenger seat. I was still in shock as the car burst forward away from my house and I was finally able to study the people sitting next to me.

There was an older guy and a girl, and they both looked older than me. The girl was the one who caught my attention the most; she looked slightly older than me and had a strange shade of brown hair which had light purple streaks running through it. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The guy sitting next to me didn't appear out of the ordinary, except for the fact that he had a scar running down his face and he looking unusually ragged in form. They didn't say anything to me, instead giving me short looks filled with wonder and interest. Turning away from them, I tried to figure out where we were going. Harry had turned around in his seat to face me and laughed; apparently, my expression of confusion was a humorous one.

"So, can you guess where we're headed yet? I bet you can't since it isn't a part of your world. We're headed to Ron's house, to the Burrow. It's probably the best place I've ever been, besides Hogwarts, of course." The red-haired boy held up his hand in front of me to point out that he was Ron. I smiled lightly at him before he concentrated on flying again, a fact I did not want to think about at the moment. The only thing that I could think about was that I was headed somewhere new, somewhere foreign, and that I was unaware of the mysteries that would soon unravel before me.


	11. The Burrow

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth (even though I really want to!!). These ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. In other words, I own nothing while writing this story. 

A/N: Thank you for all the inspiring reviews and I look forward to more of them as my story continues unfolding. Actually, many of the reviews have given me new ideas for later chapters! Now, here is the next chapter and I am not even close to bringing this story to a conclusion yet, so I hope the readers keep on reading! Remember to leave a small review to tell me what you think and enjoy the next chapter! (= 

Music that inspired this chapter: "Caribbean Blue" by Enya, "China Roses" by Enya, and "We Are Free Now" by Lisa Gerrard. 

Chapter Eleven: The Burrow 

The car ride from Privet Drive wasn't that great—Ron could barely drive the flying car and it kept whirring and turning violently through the darkened skies. Harry didn't seem to notice the uneasy trip and I wondered why that was. I still had no clue what our destination would be like and no one spoke another word about it. Ron was too busy trying to control the car, keeping his fingers gripped on the steering wheel and his face turning as red as the sweater he wore.

The young witch kept glancing at me from time to time and she always smiled awkwardly whenever I actually caught her staring. If anything, I thought I should be the one to stare, especially at her hair—it had had light streaks running through it in the beginning of our trip and now it was almost completely dark brown. The man sitting next to me barely gave me a second glance after he first acknowledged me, instead looking out the window as if searching the skies for something. It was a trip filled with the heaviest silence I had ever felt and it seemed to last a lifetime before Harry turned in his seat to inform me that we were almost there.

The violent turbulence of the car ride appeared to end shortly before we reached our destination. I briefly sighed as I hoped that there would be no drastic landing. I apparently had bad luck that night; the minute any of us could sight the house that stood alone in a kind of field, Ron dived straight for it and almost crashed into the side of it. The car skidded to a sudden stop inches from the side of the building and I could feel my heart racing wildly as I tried to catch my breath. Harry's glasses were half off his face, but it was another minute before he reached up to fix them. As if all coming to life at the same time, the other passengers quickly stepped from the car and waited for me to join them.

The first thing I noticed was that the house was enormous and I had to look directly skyward to see the upper part of it from where I was standing. It was a house that could fit dozens of people at least. Harry's laughter reached me and I faced him in time to see a grin filled with amusement cross his face. Looking back toward the building, I realized we were now the only three out here; Harry, Ron, and I. To me, it was much more comfortable with only Harry beside me instead of a group of wizards. I was surprised when words began coming out of my mouth smoothly, especially since I was still dizzy from that car ride.

"Where exactly are we?" Ron shifted a bit, making him look incredibly nervous. Harry motioned towards the large building, our new destination.

"This is the Burrow. It's Ron's home, actually. We thought it'd be as good a place as any if we're to avoid danger. I think it's time we should go in; Ron's mother is probably fretting about us already. Right, Ron?" Harry's friend nodded once before heading for the front door. I grabbed up the only bag I brought with me and followed after Harry.

The inside of the Burrow was different than I expected. It was warm, friendly, and so much like the home that I wish I truly had at the moment. It seemed like a home that was far away from any problems, like mothers who would lock their daughters up. I felt that I already liked this place, even if I had just walked into it a moment ago. Harry smiled brightly as his eyes roamed over the Burrow and then he faced me. His voice was the happiest I had ever heard it.

"You know, I don't really call my relatives' house my home. This…this is more like my home." I smiled as I realized that this was where he was truly happy. Just then, a woman with curly, red hair flew down the stairs and took in the sight of our crowd standing near the doorway. The young witch appeared in the doorway of another room—what I thought must be the kitchen since amazing aromas were now coming from that room—and she went to stand near the man that had sat next to me in the car. The woman's expression turned into one of annoyance when she spotted Ron.

"What have I told you about the car? You'll not be heading for Hogwarts soon if you get into any more trouble, I swear it! This is the second time you've flown one of those disastrous cars and I will not stand for it, Ronald Weasley!" The woman scanned the rest of the group and her eyes brightened when she saw Harry. "Oh, Harry, dear! Nice of you to arrive here so soon in the summer! I swear, those relatives of yours are not feeding you properly at all; you're so thin! I hope you are doing okay, especially after what happened to that godfather of yours! Oh, Harry, is this one of your friends?" The woman moved to stand in front of me and she smiled warmly. Harry coughed once before speaking for me.

"Oh, yeah. This is my friend, Sarah. I thought it'd be okay if she stayed here for a while. It's really important." The woman threw up her hands and then embraced me tightly. She pulled away and put on another large smile.

"Of course, of course. If she's a friend of yours, then she is perfectly welcome here. First off, we'll get your stuff to your rooms and then we'll need to give you some good food; I never like it when you arrive at my house looking so thin, Harry." Ron's mother—I had gotten the idea halfway through our meeting—greeted the other two wizards while Ron and Harry guided me up the long stairs to my new room. I struggled a bit with my bag as we climbed to the third floor and I could distinctly feel the hard, red book on the side of my leg. I pushed all thoughts of my mysteries out of my mind for the moment, all the while focusing on the mouthwatering scents that were floating up to us from the kitchen. In the back of my mind, I could almost hear another voice whispering Harry's words to me, except I knew they were meant for me. This place, with its comfortable and friendly atmosphere, already felt much more like home than the one I had just left.

* * *

After everyone had finished eating the delicious meal Molly had given us, it was almost as silent as it was in the car. No one knew what to say or what subject to bring up, but I knew some were waiting for me to ask the inevitable questions. Molly peered at me while carefully placing the dishes into the sink, commanding them to wash themselves. I tried not to stare at the dishes as the magic caused them to move in the air with soap and water. Harry was staring at me and I could tell he was felling the tension in the room since he kept clenching his hands over and over. I figured now was the time for the inevitable discussion. Looking straight at Harry, I began softly.

"So, you must know I have questions. Why exactly did you need to bring me here? You mentioned something about…Death Eaters, I think—"A sharp, clanging sound stopped me midsentence and we all turned in our seats to see that Molly had dropped a large pan on the floor. Her mouth was open in shock as she considered what I just said. An uneasy feeling swept through me as she came closer to the table, her eyes now blazing.

"What was this I heard about those good-for-nothing Death Eaters? You've been telling these things to a Muggle? I figured there was something wrong with a Muggle being in my house. Not that I don't enjoy you here, dear," Mrs. Weasley faced me with another one of her bright smiles before forcing her eyes on Ron. It did not surprise me that she knew I was a Muggle. "I don't want to hear such talk in my house right now, not when your father isn't even here. This isn't a subject you should be concerned with." Molly raised her hands in disgust as she moved near one of the kitchen windows. Lupin—I had learned about him from Harry—stood up carefully and addressed Molly.

"Molly, I know this subject may upset you. However, it is of importance to our friend, Sarah. Regretfully, we did not explain this to her before. Now seems as good a time as any to explain. That is, if you will allow it." Molly breathed loudly and turned towards Lupin. Her eyes were now worried and I felt somewhat bad for her. She nodded slowly and then left the kitchen. Lupin sat back down next to the young witch, Tonks. He motioned for me to continue.

"Anyway, I know you mentioned something called Death Eaters. What I want to know is how it connects to me." The group exchanged unsure glances with one another before focusing on me again. Harry sighed and opened his mouth to start.

"The Death Eaters are dark wizards who use their power for no good. They're our enemies and they only serve the darkest wizard of all, the one that gave me the scar. Lord Voldemort. In your case, the Death Eaters could easily target you now that you know about me. This seemed like a perfectly safe place." Tonks leaned forward and I noticed she had those light streaks in hr hair again. I had to remember to ask Harry about that later.

"Besides, we didn't want your friendship with Harry attracting any attention to your brother, Toby. If they got their hands on younger wizards for their side, we would certainly lose, wouldn't we? I'm surprised you hadn't thought of that before, Sarah." She shook her head at me as if she were disappointed that I hadn't figured it out. Shock went through my body as her words echoed in my head. My brother had something to do with the Wizarding world? How? Harry saw my distress and placed a comforting hand on my own. Lupin was the only one who responded to Tonk's words.

"She didn't know that yet, Tonks. Until this point, she was completely unaware of it." Tonks's face blushed as she realized this. She apologized in a rush, but I didn't notice since I was too busy staring at her dark blue hair that had instantly changed. She figured out that I was staring at her hair and in an instant it turned back to dark brown. Ron suddenly leaned closer to the group and spoke for one of the first times since we met.

"Well, it's simple, really. Your brother is a kind of Mud…I mean, Muggle-born wizard. He seems to have a lot of power, that is. And you didn't notice it?" Ron's eyes searched my face for an answer and a vivid memory crashed into my head. It was a memory where Toby was in a room with dozens of sets of stairs and I was reaching for him, only to have him taken away from me again. The memory blurred and the kitchen came back into view. Everyone was staring at me in either wonder or concern. I breathed deeply and tried to shake off the feeling of the memory. I also noticed that Harry's hand was still covering mine. I smiled to reassure the others. Harry stretched and got to his feet. Ron did the same and I had the feeling that the discussion was over. Harry paused before heading for the doorway.

"Looks like it's getting late. We can always discuss this tomorrow, anyway." Harry and Ron both started for the stairs and I quickly followed them, only hesitating long enough to give Tonks and Lupin a brisk nod. I wasn't even sure what time it really was, but the only thing I could think of now was Toby and what this might mean for him. How would my leaving really help him if I wasn't there to protect him? I was always there for him, up until now. My head swam with overwhelming details as I trudged up the stairs with Harry and Ron. The moment my head landed against a soft pillow and bed, I was already half asleep and ready to face the dreams that waited for me.


	12. Troubling Questions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **Those reviews are amazing and they haven't let my story down yet!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed or takes the time to read my story. One of the reviews actually gave me a really good idea for a later chapter. By the way, I am promising that this story is only going to get better and I'm even adding Hermione to the mix (even though she'll probably show up in the next chapter)! So, I hope all those readers out there keep going and keep reviewing! Thank you and enjoy the next chapter! 

**Chapter Twelve: Troubling Questions**

Sarah's stepmother climbed the stairs slowly, straining her ears for the slightest sound. It was incredibly early in the morning and she was the only person awake at that point. In fact, she had been up since five in the morning and waiting in the kitchen to speak to Sarah. Now, it was barely seven and everyone was still dozing in their beds. She doubted Sarah would sleep in, especially since she had always been up before seven-thirty each morning and rushing out the door. She stopped on one stair and recalled the way Sarah had yelled at her the previous night. It was a true fact that, as Sarah's stepmother, she was concerned for Sarah's health. Sure, maybe she had…exaggerated a bit about the situation, but she liked to think it was for Sarah's good.

Sarah's bedroom was the second one on the right and her stepmother had made sure it was a good distance from Toby's room. Sarah had somehow decided that she was the best choice to take care of Toby, but her stepmother strongly disagreed. She always watched how Sarah would spare her time for Toby, spending hours alone with him as she cared for him, and held him particularly close anyone else was close. It was almost as if Sarah thought she was Toby's mother. Sarah had definitely noticed how her stepmother was bothered by this realization.

Sarah's stepmother pushed the door to Sarah's room open and gazed around for a moment before letting her surprise show. The room was empty. There were still bags, clothes, make-up, and other small items in the room, so it did not appear that she simply ran off unless she only took a few things with her. The blanket was almost perfectly laid out on the bed, as if no one had slept in it. She was gone. Sarah's stepmother knew it in that instant, even as she was backing out of Sarah's room. Sarah was gone; she had most likely left due to the threat of the facility. No matter the reason, she had left. Sarah's stepmother suddenly turned and dashed down the hall to the room where her husband now slept. Bursting into the room, she could not contain her voice as she simply screeched, causing her husband to jolt upright in bed, shocked.

"Sarah! It's Sarah. She's gone!" Still standing in the doorway, with her blood racing and brief recollections of last night's scene, Sarah's stepmother could not decide whether those words held a hint of sadness and surprise or whether she was secretly satisfied that Sarah was no longer there.

* * *

Sunlight hit my eyes with full force that morning and eventually stirred me awake. It took a moment for me to recognize my surroundings; I had been so close to convincing myself that the previous day had been just a dream. Now, I sat upright and glanced around the bedroom. It was one of the bedrooms that I was allowed to sleep in during my stay at the Burrow. Memories of the events from the previous night flowed through my mind and I groaned loudly before getting to my feet. I couldn't decide if I was hungry or not, but then my stomach grumbled in protest. As if reading my thoughts, Ginny—Ron's only sister and the youngest of the family—carefully guided a full tray of food into the room. She smiled politely when she saw my eyes widen.

"Mum thought you might like some of her special breakfast. She only makes it when we have guests and Ron's already tried to dig into the food before anyone else could get to it. It is really good, though." She placed the tray on one of the desks and made her way back to the door. She turned once more to give me a small smile.

"Thanks for the breakfast. It looks good." Ginny's smile got bigger as she motioned to the doorway.

"I know what you mean. If I don't get down there soon, there won't be much left. It would be a shame if that happened." Ginny laughed and almost ran down the stairs in her attempt to get all the way down to the kitchen. I could only imagine Ron grabbing plates of the delicious smelling food. The tray of food that was on the desk looked too appetizing to resist.

There were blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, eggs—surprisingly, the way I like them—along with bacon and three warm, gigantic muffins. At first I imagined I would never be able to eat everything, but I recalled that I hadn't eaten a good meal for at least a day. In a matter of minutes, half the plate was spotless. Once I was finished, I made my way to the kitchen to find Ron, Ginny, and Harry laughing at the table. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them. Once in a while, Harry would focus his eyes on Ginny and stay there; it was like he was admiring her. The laughter dimmed a bit as they realized I had entered the room.

"What's so funny this morning?" Ginny blushed as if she felt some kind of shame. Ron smiled awkwardly and Harry straightened his glasses while he avoided my eyes. Finally, Ron spoke up and I quickly noticed how his voice broke when he talked, as though he were nervous.

"Blimey, I never thought you'd be awake this early. I mean, Mum sent up that breakfast, but you know how she is with that stuff…By the way, I think Hermione's arriving here soon, isn't she?" Harry nodded vigorously and Ginny took up where Ron left off.

"Hermione is coming today. She sent a letter this morning explaining everything. She also mentioned that she was doing research in her parent's—"

"Library," Ron and Harry both completed Ginny's statement. Then, the two of them burst out laughing while I stared at them in confusion. It took them a few moments and some elbow prodding from Ginny for them to notice.

"Oh, by the way, our friend Hermione is probably the best in our year at Hogwarts. Whenever she needs to do some research, it's always the library for her. Every time. It's become somewhat predictable now." I nodded in understanding before sitting in an empty chair at the table. There were a few minutes of heavy silence before I chose to break it with a question that had been nagging my mind during the night.

"About last night, you mentioned my brother is…like you." Ginny leaned forward and seemed incredibly interested; I had forgotten that no one had told her yet about my brother having magical connections. I waited for any other responses and Ron ended up interrupting.

"You mean wizards. Your brother's a wizard, you know." I tried not to respond by saying that I already knew that; I kind of figured it would sound mean, especially since Ron's family was providing me hospitality. Instead, I moved my eyes to every person in the group and then sighed before continuing.

"Right. Well, how would staying here help him? I'm so far away from him now and I have always been there to protect him and care for him. I don't see how being here can really prove any good for Toby." I didn't know why, but I felt a frightening chill fill me and I could only imagine what I would do if something happened to Toby again. At that point, I stopped myself. _Again? What do you mean, again, Sarah?_ I shook my head and turned my thoughts in another direction. Still, that foreboding feeling stayed in the back of my mind. What if there were more memories waiting to be discovered? Maybe that was a hint of one and now I was dismissing it. As I argued with myself, I faintly heard Harry starting to speak, probably answering my question.

"Well, to us it made sense. You would most likely be the target for Death Eaters because you're friends with me now. I'm the one they really want. We can't really say that they know about your brother yet. So long as they don't, by taking you here we can make sure that no attention is directed at him. Besides, we wouldn't want his power being used in the wrong hands. Even Lupin thinks it's a good idea. It makes sense." Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. Suddenly, my thoughts took an unexpected turn.

"Okay, fine. I guess I can stay here for a while, just as long as you promise I'll see him again soon. By the way, where is Lupin and…Tonks?" I had to struggle to remember the names of the wizards who had accompanied us the previous night. A knowing look quickly passed over Ginny's face and she spoke up before Harry could.

"Oh, Lupin and Tonks left a while ago. They wanted to leave early since it's a full moon tonight. As Tonks said, the night before the full moon is always the worst. I wish they could have stayed." Ron threw a violent look at Ginny, which succeeded in making her quit talking. Confusion hit me again and I searched Harry's face for the answer. He shrugged and then choked out a few words.

"Oh…yeah…that was one thing we didn't mention, I guess. Lupin is a…werewolf. It seems Hollywood got a few things right with the whole wolf thing." My confusion transformed into shock and I felt my mouth drop open. If I thought Harry being a wizard was something to gawk at, then Lupin being a werewolf was hitting the level of extreme. I had been near a werewolf the previous night—the night before a full moon—and no one had thought to mention it. Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I hurriedly shut my mouth again. Getting to my feet, I didn't bother to say anything more. I headed for the stairs and only looked back at Harry to mention that I needed time to myself. Before I could even reach the stairs, I heard Ron call after me.

"Hey, Sarah! Are you sure you don't want to have a game of Quidditch first?" I turned to face Ron again, amazement filling every part of my body. Forgetting about my for that mysterious red book that I had yet to read, I focused all my attention on Ron as I took the bait.

"What's Quidditch? Whatever it is, I'm definitely interested."

* * *

During the moments in which Sarah was having her long discussion with her wizard friends, a white owl was gazing with interest into one of the windows in the kitchen. It was a wondrous thing that no one noticed the owl simply perched there, minus any letters or objects that would normally come with any other owl. This owl was particularly staring at Sarah as she voiced her questions. The owl could hear every word she spoke. In truth, Jareth had forgotten how precious and amazing her voice sounded to him; it had been years ago since he had first seen her. Old memories filled his mind, ones where Sarah had been in his Labyrinth and showed her strength brilliantly. As always, her main concern seemed to be her brother.

The owl tilted its head as it listened to the response of one of her friends. The red-headed boy was explaining that Sarah's brother was a wizard. This piece of information was incredible; Jareth had once predicted that her brother held some kind of power. He could only have imagined the type of power. Now, it seemed her brother was a wizard with great magical abilities. This was valuable information. He was almost tempted to take the child once again, if only to claim that power. Then again, he could only imagine how that would affect Sarah now. It could be like last time…but something in Jareth's mind argued against it.

_How might that affect Sarah? It certainly would not be like the last time; she was only a naïve girl who happened to show great bravery and strength. She only faced those challenges because she thought she could…and she did, for her brother. Now, there is an immense possibility she does not even remember the Labyrinth. Taking the child again would only break her and there would be little chance she would claim her brother again. How would that affect her?_

As his thoughts finished, he could hear Sarah's words through the glass window. Her voice was filled with certainty; it appeared to draw Jareth closer to her in that moment. Shockingly, he couldn't help but to feel pity for her.

"How would staying here help him? I'm so far away from him now and I have always been there to protect him and care for him. I don't see how being here can really prove any good for Toby." Jareth recalled how she had acted when trying to get her brother back. It was as if she felt responsible for Toby and only trusted herself to care for him. It made Jareth feel something he couldn't quite describe in words. It was something like sympathy, something he had never felt towards anyone.

In an attempt to thrust the feelings away, the owl faced away from the window and waved its wings once or twice in preparation for flight. The last thing Jareth heard clearly was that Sarah would be staying there for a little bit longer. Why would she? Didn't she want to return to her home and care for her brother like she said she would? Or was something at her home, more than these dangerous wizards, threatening her away? Jareth longed for the answers to these pressing questions and vowed he would find the answers as soon as possible. Without another look at Sarah, the owl spread its white wings and soared into the open sky, Sarah's troubling words being the only thing that echoed through its mind.


	13. Remembered

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series of Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who do own these ideas are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N:** First off, I think this chapter is going to be really good! I hope the readers keep reading until the end of my story and keep giving such great reviews! Thank you to everyone who did review; it has helped me so much! Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of the story!!

**Music that inspired this story:** "Angels on the Moon" by Thriving Ivory and "Memories" by Within Temptation. 

**Chapter Thirteen: Remembered**

All my worries seemed to have vanished the moment that Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I bounded across the field, ready to participate in an adrenaline-paced game of Quidditch. Granted, I had never heard of the game before and I realized why that was—Harry explained that it was a wizard's game, very challenging when first played, and that it was mainly done on broomsticks. The thought of being high in the air on a broomstick with no experience in flying shook me a bit. After minutes of arguing against the idea of playing in the first game, Harry agreed to have me watch instead. Somehow, he must have timed this response since Hermione showed up only moments later.

Hermione was one of Harry's good friends and was known to be one of the best students at Hogwarts. Ron and Harry had given me an extensive description of her, from the obvious qualities of brilliance to the mass of bushy hair that surrounded her face. She had immediately greeted me and instantly agreed to take my place in the game, even though she admitted she wasn't the best at it. Now, Harry was finished setting up the Quidditch equipment and was hastily climbing onto his broom. He only addressed me once before the game started, his eyes filled with excitement.

"All you have to do now is watch. I would suggest hanging back a few yards, though. Just in case; we don't want you to get hurt or anything, especially with the balls flying around." I nodded to him before he sped off and I went to lean near a brick wall in the yard. Even though I knew very little of Quidditch, it was still interesting to watch. Harry and Ron were against Hermione and Ginny. Occasionally, there would be shouts and yells of excitement as their brooms raced in every direction. Sweeping my dark hair from my face, I lifted my head towards the sky and shielded my eyes when the sun grew too bright.

At first, all I could hear was the roaring sounds of the brooms zooming by in the air and the outbursts—usually made by Ron or Ginny—every now and then. Even though I tried to pay attention to the game, my mind kept wandering hopelessly. The fringes of my mind were blurred and I had no clue of the depths of lost memories that were somewhere hidden away. So, I simply leaned back against the wall, ignored the burst of heat on my face from the sun, and tried for the millionth time to clear my mind.

The sound that broke my concentration first was one that sounded like the flapping of wings. I reluctantly straightened up, all the while noticing that the game was still going on, each of the players apparently oblivious to my lack of attention. My eyes searched the sky until another rustling sound came to me. I looked down to see a white owl sitting on the wall next to me. It looked like the same owl that I had been dreaming about, thinking about, and remembering from a long time ago. Shaking my head, a quiet inner voice argued with me.

_That's ridiculous, Sarah. How could the same exact owl be in so many places? How could this owl be the exact one you're seeing in your mind? It's impossible._ I couldn't help but wonder if it was impossible after all. Without realizing what I was doing, I stepped back a few feet and directly stared at the bird. My back was facing the game and I wondered if anyone had noticed my behavior yet. The bird appeared to be studying me and waiting for my next move. There was something about the way it looked at me that was so indescribable; it nagged at my mind and tempted me to remember something I had once buried in the corners of my mind. There was something about this particular white owl…

"Sarah! Watch out!" I quickly spun around, my focus on the bird lost, but it was already too late. I had not been paying attention, like Harry warned me before the game started. Now, I had no time to jump out of the way as a hard, rugged ball slammed painfully into my chest, knocking me off my feet. It didn't occur to me that the owl was suddenly gone as I shot backwards into the brick wall I had previously been leaning against. My head connected with the wall and the impact caused my head to spin in thousands of directions. I could faintly hear voices calling my name, but I easily forgot about the people who were near me. It was incredibly difficult for me to regain my composure; it seemed to take all my strength to open my eyes an inch or so. I could almost feel the warm sensation of something on my forehead and it was a while before the correct word registered in my mind.

_Blood. You're bleeding. You hit your head too hard. You could have a concussion or something worse. You can't keep your closed now; you can't slip away yet. You have to open your eyes. Sarah, open your eyes!_ It sounded like the small voice in my head was another, more alive, part of me that urged me to keep fighting against the weakness that was now overcoming my senses. Or did that voice belong to one of my friends? It was too hard to tell now. No matter how hard I fought, opening my eyes was not one of my options. Instead, everything immediately turned scarlet red and then it all faded into heavy blackness.

* * *

_Every lost memory came to me, as if the memories never truly faded. I remembered everything. I chose a memory and I was suddenly dancing again in that crystal ballroom with him…I even remembered his name now. Jareth, that was his name. I recalled everything with such amazing clarity. The Labyrinth, the challenges I had once faced in hopes of gaining my brother back. My brother, Toby, who I had just learned was a wizard. Everything came back with such force. _

_ The words of the wish—the one that caused my brother to disappear in the first place—formed in my head. I could hear long lost words, such as my statement that the Goblin King did not have power over me. It all echoed in my mind as I submerged myself in those long awaited memories. I remembered Hoggle and Sir Didymus, along with every other experience I had once faced in the Labyrinth. The room with the twisting stairs had been in one of my dreams. I now realized that every strange dream I had during those nights often revealed something about my memories. How could I have forgotten it all? _

_ Most of all, I witnessed images of the crystal, the one that he had often held before me. Those crystals had appeared to offer me something, but I had turned it all down to save my brother. Now, I recalled again how those crystals smoothly glided along his hand and how they seemed to sparkle magnificently in the light. I could see myself facing one of those crystals. All I had to do was reach for it and reality might return to me. _

_ Then again, did I want to return to reality, with all the current pain that was storming through my head? There was no pain while I was diving through my memories. All I saw was white light as I scanned the memories one by one and got lost inside them. By returning to reality and waking again, there would be pain with whatever injuries I had suffered from my collision with the brick wall. Then I began thinking of my friends, who were probably worrying about me in reality. I thought of my brother again, who needed now more than ever. With all these overwhelming thoughts crashing through my mind, I finally made my decision. Sighing deeply, I reached into the bright light that surrounded the edges of my mind and I returned to reality. _

* * *

"Sarah? Sarah, can you hear us? I think she's finally waking up here!" A mixture of voices, one that I recognized as Harry's, revolved around me. It took me longer to distinguish the other voices from Harry's voice. I quickly recognized Ginny's soft voice and Hermione's perky voice. The last one I recognized belonged to Ron. An unbearable amount of pain rushed through my head and it felt extremely difficult to even lift a hand to my forehead. My eyes were sore and heavy, as if glued closed. Once I managed to open my eyes, I noticed that everything around me was blurry and unsteady.

Everything slowly came into focus and I could see Harry leaning across to me. Ginny was on my right while Ron and Hermione were standing together at the end of the bed. I was immediately confused about where I was; I slightly remembered being outside in the field when I collapsed. Now, I was lying down in a large bed. Everyone appeared to be waiting for me to try to speak. I decided not to hold anything back.

"I remember. I remember everything now. My memories are back. It must have been when I hit my head on the wall…" My words trailed off as I attempted to sit upright in the bed. I immediately fell back on the bed when I felt a sharp pain in my head. Harry hastily helped me lay back and started to explain.

"Yeah, you apparently had a bad injury. Ron's mum said it didn't look very serious and that you were incredibly lucky. You'll probably have some pain for a while, though. Sorry about hitting you." I waved the apology away and concentrated on all the memories that I had lost before, the memories that were now in my reach.

"I don't really mind the injury that much. It helped me regain my memory, remember? It's just strange having all those lost memories in my head now. I can remember everything like it was yesterday." Harry and Ginny smiled appreciatively at me while Hermione only came a few steps closer. I didn't really blame her for hesitating; she didn't even know who I was besides another common Muggle.

Harry suddenly looked like he had an idea. He turned away from me and grabbed my bag. He hurriedly opened the smaller section of the bag and carefully revealed the Remembrall that I had thought to bring along with me. Without saying anything, he held out the Remembrall to me and I instinctively knew he wanted to see if it was true.

I cautiously took it from him and waited for the deep red smoke to burst inside the crystal, but there was nothing inside now. It was clear and beautiful, once again reminding me of the crystal that I had seen during my adventures in the Labyrinth. For once, the Remembrall was not clouded with the smoke that signified something forgotten. I felt satisfied with that result; I had all gained back all those lost memories. Smiling, I glanced around the room at my friends, grateful that I had them here with me at this moment. Besides the unwanted pain in my head, it was the best I had felt in a few days. Grasping the Remembrall as if it were a sacred treasure, I confirmed what all of them were probably thinking.

"The Remembrall isn't cloudy for me anymore. It's crystal clear now. I remember everything." Then, with their insistence and encouragement, I began to tell them all about my long forgotten memories and the adventures I once had in the Labyrinth.

* * *

_Thank you for reading this good chapter of my story and I hope you'll tell me what you think of it! By the way, does anyone know what Sarah's biological mother's name is? Also, does anyone know what her step-mother's name is? It would be so helpful if someone could let me know! If any reader can, then thank you! I'm hoping that I can update as soon as possible! (= _


	14. Friends and Foes

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the series of Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. These ideas (including characters, places, and events) belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson only. I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **First off, my last chapter must have been good because there have been at least twice the reviews I usually get!! Thank you so much, guys! I want to thank every reader who has taken the time to read and review my story. Also, thank you to the readers who helped me with Sarah's mother's name and her stepmother's name. Actually, it's going to help this chapter! So thank you to all the readers of my story and I hope you like this next chapter (forgive me if I end (again) with a cliffhanger!!). Enjoy!

**Music that inspired this chapter: "Clocks" by Coldplay, "New Divide" by Linkin Park, and "Promise" by Akira Yamaoka. **

**Chapter Fourteen: Friends and Foes**

Privet Drive was extremely quiet and dark on the night the Death Eaters first showed up. Occasionally, some bits of an argument could be heard from the Dursley's home, most likely about the sudden disappearance of their nephew. Every other house was as silent as a tomb and there were no teenagers hanging around the street that night. No one noticed the swirling dark clouds in the sky, the mysterious image in the darkened skies, or the few cloaked people that materialized on the street.

One of the cloaked strangers held a finger up to its lips, ordering the others to remain silent. The figures were completely unaware of the white owl in one of the trees, even though it was watching them intently with eyes that were almost human. It watched the cloaked figures as they headed straight for the house that belonged to Sarah. One of the strangers seemed to hesitate a bit, but followed the group nonetheless. The first cloaked figure stepped up to the front door and did not pause even a second; instead, the figure rapped on the door. A second cloaked figure, this one much taller than the first, harshly protested against waiting.

"Bella, what is the point of knocking? I say we just intrude like we always do. It is pointless to keep our Lord waiting." The first cloaked figure turned to the one who had spoken and shook its head slowly, as if thinking that the act of intruding was foolish. The first figure's voice was soft and slow, but it still held a hint of danger.

"If anything is pointless, it is barging in like…wolves, for instance. We need her to trust us now, so that we can get what we want. You forget she doesn't like our kind or our actions. We wait." The two cloaked figures appeared to stare each other down. Then, the second figure nodded and stepped away from the door. The first figure turned again in time to see a young man at the door, staring at the group in confusion. The first figure dropped her hood and attempted to smile calmly at the man. She had a mass of dark curls surrounding her tanned face and dark eyes to match. Her dangerous eyes were somewhat hidden by her heavy lids and her lips were formed into a sly smile. When the man stayed silent, she lifted the sleeve of her dress to reveal the Dark Mark on her forearm.

"We don't want that much trouble tonight. If you were wise, you would allow us entrance." The man's expression shifted from confusion to bitterness. He decided to try refusing the group, even though his voice broke with a hint of fear.

"No, I am not allowing you into my home." The man moved to close the door, but the woman shoved it back open, surprising the man. He fell to the ground as the group stormed in and waited for what might happen next. The woman quickly pulled out her wand and aimed it at the man's heart. She shook her head again and spoke almost in a whisper.

"That's a shame. And to think we didn't want to kill anyone tonight." The woman paused to let her words sink in. The man's face changed to one of complete fear as he tried to get back up on his feet. Before he could move an inch, the woman smiled wickedly and shouted an incantation. "_Avada Kadavra!"_ A flash of green light erupted from her wand and surrounded the man. He was dead in an instant. The woman smiled triumphantly as she moved forward into the house.

Outside, the owl was perched on the windowsill of Toby's room. The window had been left open and the owl could hear the child's moans and small cries as he slept. It had seen the strangers enter the house and kill the child's father. The reason was clear; the group was only here to claim Toby and any power he might have. The owl could distinctly hear the voices downstairs, roaming around the house. If the child fell into the hands of the cloaked figures, it would yield disastrous results, especially for Sarah.

The Goblin King's mind suddenly felt overwhelmed. Surprisingly, the child meant very little to him. Sarah, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Thoughts swam around his head and only a few made it to the surface.

_If the cloaked figures succeed, then what? Sarah would only have more challenges to overcome, and this one just might be impossible to beat._ Jareth knew he had to decide what he would do soon or the cloaked strangers would succeed tonight. Sarah's image floated in his mind, causing him to consider breaking his own rules. He could hear the voices getting louder and coming closer to the child's room. He was the only person who could intervene now.

In the next instant, he made his decision and hastily materialized inside the child's room. Normally, it would take the power of a simple wish to give him permission to take the child away, but this was for the greater good. The voices were becoming more violent and impatient. There wasn't much time now. Quickly, Jareth revealed one of his crystals and slowly gazed into it, speaking softly so as not to be noticed.

"I call now on the goblin Hoggle and Sir Didymus and order them here. Come forth to me." Waving one of his hands over the crystal, he turned to see that his orders had been immediately obeyed. Hoggle and Didymus stood awkwardly behind him, waiting for another order.

"Hogwart, Sir Didymus, I want you to take this child away and back to the Labyrinth. Time is very precious and cannot be wasted." Jareth wondered if they would understand his reasons for taking Toby once again, but decided he did not care at the moment. The two exchanged glances and stared at him in confusion. It was Didymus who dared to question him.

"Sir, you have already tried these actions before. I do not think now is the time to repeat history, your Majesty. Unless, of course, there is another reason?" Hoggle and Didymus looked up at Jareth expectantly. Jareth felt annoyance cloud his mind.

"I distinctly gave you two an order. I hope you are not going to disappoint me by refusing to carry out that order." The two of them understood what he meant and hurriedly grabbed Toby. They stopped close to the mirror and, in the next moment, they were no longer there. Jareth glanced once more around the room before transforming once again into a white owl and landing on the edge of a tree branch that was close to Toby's window.

In the next second, two women strode into Toby's room. One of them was Toby's stepmother, Karen. The other was the mysterious woman who killed Toby's father, Bellatrix Lestrange. Jareth could hear every word they were saying; Karen was protesting against Bellatrix's actions. Her voice broke while she spoke and it appeared she was trying to hold back a sob.

"Still, you didn't have to kill him, Bellatrix. I could have allowed you in if you gave me time." Bellatrix spun to glare at Karen and she snarled back a response.

"Time is something we do not have tonight, Karen. You should know that. Now, where is your child? You of all people should know how impatient our Lord is." Bellatrix pointed her wand at Karen as she cautiously made her way to Toby's bed. She gasped and collapsed against the wall when she saw that the bed was empty. Immediately, Bellatrix realized the problem and she aimed her wand even closer to Karen's face.

"Where is he? Do not tell me you've failed again, Karen. You are a pitiful excuse for a witch. I expect you already know that." Bellatrix pushed her wand even closer and Karen finally began crying. She could barely form her next words and they only came out in a whisper.

"Please, I didn't do anything. I promised you he would be here, didn't I? Just like the Dark Lord promised me a higher level of power if I agreed to this mission. I have tried for the past week or so to send away my step-daughter so that your actions tonight would succeed!"

"But she's not here and you didn't succeed in sending her away, did you? No, you failed, Karen! In fact, I should save the Dark Lord the trouble and kill you myself!" Bellatrix opened her mouth to call out the spell that would kill Karen, but was interrupted by a calm voice at the door.

"Bella, put your wand down. If anything, we should wait for the Dark Lord's orders to kill her. It only seems right that way." Another woman, one who resembled Bellatrix in small ways, walked into the room and grasped Bella's wand arm. Reluctantly, Bellatrix placed her wand by her side and openly glared at the other wizard.

"Cissy, she failed again. Why should we wait and let her live after failing so miserably? Besides, you should know all about failure due to the outcome of Locus's fight at the Ministry. Now, you have your Draco joining the ranks and being used by the Dark Lord. What makes you think the Dark Lord will listen to you?" Narcissa Malfoy tossed back her silvery blonde hair and met her sister's eyes.

"Bella, don't you ever throw Lucius's failure in my face! I understand I have many concerns now, but I stand by what I say tonight. Let us bring her back to the Dark Lord and wait for his orders. Then, and only then can we kill her. We cannot stay here any longer, Bella." Bellatrix gripped her wand tightly and faced Karen again. In a low, threatening voice, she addressed her.

"What is she good for now? First, she fails to send the girl away or at least into our hands. Then, she has given up on finishing her mission of finding the girl's witch of a mother. Now, we have finally discovered another source of power and she fails her Lord once again." Bellary stopped as if considering something in her mind. It was a minute before she continued. "Fine, we'll carry her along to the Dark Lord. Who knows? Maybe she can still help us find the girl, hmmm?" Narcissa gazed at Karen, who was still huddled on the floor and shaking visibly. Then, she focused on Bellatrix again with a new light in her eyes.

"No, Bellatrix. I'm afraid she can't help us find poor Sarah Williams. No matter, though. Fenrir and I have recently found out her whereabouts." Bellatrix instantly looked interested and seemed to forget about Karen.

"Really? That's news to me, Cissy. So, where is she?" Narcissa smiled lightly as she stepped closer to her sister. Clearly, she didn't want Karen to overhear what she might say. Narcissa leaned towards Bellatrix and whispered the information to her.

"It's quite simple, really. She is currently staying with those blood-traitor Weasleys. She's at the Burrow." Narcissa leaned back to appreciate her sister's reaction. Bellatrix seemed frozen for a full minute as this information sunk in. Then, she met Narcissa's eyes and her lips slowly curved into a wicked smile. Not one of them noticed that the white owl had disappeared into the night.

* * *

I was still explaining the Labyrinth to my friends when it happened. The pain in my head had ceased a little, but Ron's mother insisted that I rest. She even threw out the others with the intent of having me sleep. Now, late into the night, my friends had snuck back into my room so they could hear more about my secret world. I tried my best to stay calm while telling them about my adventure, being careful not to raise my voice above a whisper in case Mrs. Weasley was still lurking around the house.

"Technically, the whole thing with the Labyrinth was my fault. I only challenged it so that I could get my brother back. I really don't think your world would be that big of a match against the Labyrinth." Harry laughed and gave me a challenging look. Ginny appeared fascinated by words and stories while Hermione remained uncertain, clutching one of her books to her chest. Ron simply looked puzzled. Harry was the first one to speak.

"Well, I don't know. Our world has its own wonders, you know. Take Quidditch, for example. One of the best features in our world and something the Labyrinth is seriously lacking." All of us began laughing and even Hermione smiled cheerfully along with us instead of consulting her book. Our laughter was broken by an explosive sound outside, causing all of us to jump up. Harry glided over to the window and searched for the source of the sound. From where I was sitting, I could see dark clouds swirling in the sky. I secretly hoped there would be anything drastic like a tornado. We waited to see Harry's reaction and were frightened by his words when he faced us.

"Trouble outside. The Death Eaters are here. They've probably come for Sarah." Harry quickly pulled his wand out and Ginny went to stand by him. I was suddenly afraid; it wasn't simply fear for my own life, but for the lives of my friends who would no doubt fight for me. Hermione immediately perked up and scolded Harry.

"Harry, no way! It's too dangerous to take on Death Eaters now! Even for Sarah's sake, it could get you killed!" Harry glanced once more at me and then left the room. Hermione shook her head at no one in particular and Ron got to his feet. Hermione suddenly turned her irritation on him instead.

"Ron, you're not going out there, are you? It is dangerous!" Ron met my eyes and smiled awkwardly. Facing Hermione again, he spoke in a tone that was filled with certainty.

"Harry's gone out there to fight for Sarah. I reckon it's the right thing if I do the same. So that's what I'm doing. As a friend, I'm fighting for Sarah." I felt a sad smile reach my eyes as I watched Ron follow Harry outside. Without another second's thought, I got to my feet and headed for the door. Hermione grabbed my arm and tried to stop me. I didn't look at her, but I was able to meet Ginny's eyes before I ran down the stairs and out the front door.

Outside, I could see two cloaked figures, both with their hoods falling back. One was a dangerous looking woman with dark hair. She was currently fighting with Harry and trying to hit him with a number of spells. The other stranger was a tall man who appeared very threatening. Like the woman, he was attempting to attack Ron. At the sight of these strangers attacking my friends, anger filled me. It was me they wanted, certainly not Harry at the moment. Before I knew what I was doing, I started toward the woman and began shouting.

"Hey! Why don't you look at me instead?" Finally, the woman glanced at me and smiled in a cruel way. She turned her wand toward me and Harry gave me a suspicious look. I decided to keep going and tried to distract the woman from Harry and Ron. "Why are you attacking my friends when it's me you want?"

Harry was shaking his head at me, apparently trying to tell me that what I was doing was wrong. Taking on last look at the woman who had begun focusing on me, I quickly spun and fled into the high cornfields surrounding the Burrow. I could instantly hear the woman shouting spells behind me and I knew she was following, just like I wanted her to. I could hear Harry's voice behind her and I realized he wouldn't let this woman fight me without getting involved as well. The woman seemed to notice him, too.

"Oh, are you coming after me, Harry Potter? You're going to have to run faster!" I could hear the woman cackling behind me and I somehow dodged another of her spells. So far, I was lucky not to have her blow off my head with a dangerous amount of magic. I continued running through the high cornstalks, hoping it would be more difficult for her to spot me. Now, I could hear her yelling something over and over. It was a moment before I could make out what she was saying.

"I killed Sirius Black! I killed Sirius Black! What do you think you're going to do about it, Potter?" My heart squeezed a bit for Harry's sake. I recalled him telling me that it was a short while ago since his godfather died. I suddenly realized that this was the woman who must have killed him. More anger burned through my veins as I pushed harder. I was sure she was so close and could probably kill me anytime now.

All of a sudden, I burst into an open area of the field. There was a small level of water in this particular part of the field. What scared me most was that it was all open and that I was now vulnerable. Before I could move, the woman jumped out of the cornstalks after me and stopped when she realized that this was her chance to kill me.

"Oh, look at this. Nowhere to run now, hmmm? Time to end our game then." She raised her wand toward my face and I forced myself to keep glaring at her. If this woman was going to kill me, I was going to give her any satisfaction by showing fear. In the next second, Harry charged into the open field and stopped in his tracks. He looked between me and the woman. Then, he raised his own wand at the woman who was threatening me.

"Don't try it, Bellatrix. If you hurt her, I'll kill you just like you killed my godfather!" The woman briefly glanced in Harry's direction and then laughed.

"Empty threats, Potter. If you wanted to kill me in revenge for your pathetic godfather, you would have done so after his death at the Ministry. Too late now, anyway. I've made my decision about this girl. She's not that important to us. In fact, the Dark Lord has given us orders to find her and kill her. Her stepmother failed there, of course." Bellatrix's last words shocked me. I didn't understand how my stepmother could fit into this. She was a Muggle like me; she couldn't possibly have anything to do with this.

"My stepmother? How do you know her, anyway?" Bellatrix looked at me with wide eyes and I remembered it was the first time I spoke to her.

"Oh, talking now are we? Your stepmother is a pathetic woman who couldn't help us in the slightest bit. We were planning on killing her, but we decided to let our Dark Lord make the decision instead. Can't say the same for your father, though." Bellatrix's words sent an unbearable chill down my spine. I couldn't imagine my father being gone, let alone killed by this woman. Fury filled my body as Bellatrix aimed her wand at me again. There was nothing left to do but to wait for what would happen next. "This will only hurt for a split second, deary." Those were Bellatrix's last words before she made her decision to kill me. What I didn't expect was the familiar voice behind me, directed at Bellatrix.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand and fell somewhere near her feet. A cloaked woman slowly emerged from somewhere behind me, but I couldn't see her face. Even so, I had a feeling I knew who she was. She stood before me and seemed to stare at Bellatrix for the longest time. Bellatrix only smiled wickedly back at her before claiming her wand. With one last hateful look in my direction, Bellatrix vanished into a spiral of black smoke and fled the Burrow.

I was still gazing up at the darkened clouds while Hermione, Ginny, and Ron burst through the cornfields, every one of them looking distressed. Harry turned his wand toward the strange woman and stepped forward. Without fully realizing what I was doing, I put myself between Harry and the familiar woman who still had her hood on. Harry stared at me in confusion as he slowly lowered his wand.

"Sarah, what exactly are you doing? This could be another Death Eater for all you know." I breathed deeply and mentally prepared myself for the unbelievable thing I was about say. I turned to the cloaked woman, who had her head tilted at me, probably in wonder. Without looking back at my friends, I spoke with a certainty and strength I hadn't felt before that point.

"No, she's not something evil like a Death Eater. She's my mother." With those words, I willingly stepped closer to the woman that had abandoned me so long ago.


	15. No Safe Place

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing (including characters, ideas, places, or events) while writing this story. 

**A/N: **Thank you again for the reviews and I hope the readers are enjoying my story so far (sorry for the cliffhanger in the last chapter!). Now, here is the next chapter and I hope it will explain things a bit. Plus, there will be a surprise at the end (again)!! I would still love to hear what the readers think, so remember to leave a small review afterwards! Enjoy!

**Chapter Fifteen: No Safe Place**

I ignored the expressions of shock that covered my friends' faces as I stepped closer to my mother. She had lowered her wand even though Harry still had his extended toward her. She only hesitated once before throwing back her hood and revealing her face.

She almost looked the same as I remembered her; she had long dark hair that fell past her shoulders and her face was kind and delicate, except for a long scar that existed on her forehead. The scar did not look recent and it was a bit jagged in appearance. The only other detail about her that surprised me was that she was a witch. It was something I never knew or even came close to guessing. Her curious brown eyes roamed over me as I studied her. The silence had grown heavy and one of us was bound to break it soon, that person being my mother.

"Oh, Sarah. I can't say how much I've missed you all these years. I hate it that you're mixed up in this complicated situation, though." Her voice drifted away as she waited for some kind of response. Maybe she was thinking that I would become angry because she had left me when I was still a child. I suddenly realized that I knew very little about her at all since I was still young when she abandoned me; all I had were a few faint memories, but none that could signify she was a true mother to me. It was the reason why anger did begin to rise inside me as I absorbed her words. It almost became too much to hold back and I couldn't prevent the sharp quality of my voice.

"_You_ missed _me_? It was you who abandoned me, remember?" My mother's deep eyes filled with concern and sadness due to my accusation. For a moment, I wished my friends weren't standing beside me, holding their breath, and watching this confrontation between me and my mother. Her voice was soft and soothing, unlike the bitter and uncaring tone that often belonged to my stepmother. I started to wonder how much easier my life would have been if my mother had never left me.

"Abandoning you was not a choice I was happy to make. It was a difficult time, trying to have both the Wizarding world and Muggle world all at once. In the end, it was the only decision I could make in hopes that you would live a normal life." My mother's eyes were pleading with me as I tried to sort out my thoughts.

My father had once explained that my mother had left willingly after the divorce with no further means of communication. He had said she was intending to become an actress and that meant leaving me behind. Now, she was simply standing in front of me, trying to make up for a mistake that was made years ago. I avoided her eyes while I thought, instead looking back at the fields surrounding the Burrow. It was then that a new thought struck me.

"Wait a minute. How did you even know I was here or that I would be in trouble?" My mother's eyes widened as if she just remembered something she had forgotten. A smile played on her lips as she spoke.

"That's quite simple to explain, really. I'm an Auror." At the first sign of confusion on my face, my mother rolled her eyes carelessly. "I keep forgetting you're not as knowing about the Wizarding world. An Auror is a specially trained wizard that deals against dark magic or those who use it. Take the Death Eaters, for example. Those wizards that were attacking you are the Death Eaters and they are forever using dark magic. I never did like that Bellatrix Lestrange." My mother shook her head as though she were scolding a small child. Then, her eyes grew excited once more.

"Right. She doesn't seem that friendly at all. Anyway, you knew I was in trouble again," I repeated in order to urge her on. My mother nodded once, her black hair moving slightly with the night breeze.

"Well, I have been watching over you for a while. When you first arrived here, Tonks notified me that you were here and she was concerned for you. She's an Auror as well. She suggested I keep close watch on you for a while, just in case any Death Eaters showed up. Now here we are, after battling those nasty Death Eaters." I nodded in understanding and thought this over in my head. My mother was a witch and an Auror, plus the fact she practically saved my life from tonight's attack. I felt a small smile form on my face and I could tell my mother had noticed it since she began smiling as well. The coldness in my voice was replaced by eagerness as another question blurted out of my mouth.

"So, if you're a wizard, then why don't I have any type of magic abilities? I'm just a Muggle from what Harry tells me." My mother's eyes moved over to Harry, who was now blushing a bit from me throwing him under the bus. I could feel my mother focusing on me again; I kept my eyes on the fields. Somehow, I didn't feel ready to drop my guard just yet. As if reading my mind, my mother answered me.

"There will be no more Death Eaters tonight, I think. I'm sure it is a good time to calm yourself, Sarah," my mother assured me in a sweet, gentle tone. My heart seemed to squeeze a little at the thought that this woman should have been my mother for the last few years of my life instead of the witch of a stepmother I really had. Blushing a bit, I focused on my mother as she continued.

"To answer your other question, Sarah, you are not a complete Muggle. Just because you are unaware of special qualities, it does not mean they are not there. I feel a sense of magic in you now. Otherwise, how exactly do you think you were allowed into the Underground?" My mother threw her hands up as she voiced this question, as if it was ridiculous that I did not come to this conclusion myself. Another wave of misunderstanding hit me and I hoped my face did not show that much confusion as I casually tried to decipher what she said.

"The Underground, huh?" My mother was not fooled by my act. She smiled and trained her deep brown eyes on me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and calmly stated something that actually shocked me.

"The Labyrinth, my dear. How ever do you imagine you were allowed into the Labyrinth without possessing a bit of magic inside you? That is almost impossible, except for goblins, of course." She laughed softly and I noticed her laughter was somewhat musical and lovely. Shutting out the tears that were forming, I had to force myself not to loudly yell my next question.

"How do you know about the Labyrinth? I actually tried to convince myself once that it was all a dream before." My mother stopped me by shaking her head slowly. Her warm smile stayed in place, so I was confident she didn't think I was foolish at that moment.

"No, dear. That certainly was no dream. I'm not surprised that you've already been there. I knew you were bound to come across it one day, especially because of that book I gave you when you were a child. Remember? I gave you the red book titled 'Labyrinth' and I distinctly remember you saying that you would learn to read it all by yourself. Even if I did want to give you a normal life, I really could not help myself, dear." My mother sighed and motioned for us to walk back towards the Burrow with her. She didn't begin talking again for a good few minutes as we made our way through the thick cornfields. Then, I heard her voice surrounding me.

"My story of how I know the Underground isn't that exciting. You probably did not know this, Sarah, but I had lived there as a little girl. I actually stayed there until I was about nine years old. My mother was the reason why we were forced to leave. She was a kind of witch who possessed powerful magic. I remember the day we left the Underground. My mother had used her magic in a dangerous, forbidden way. You see, she always trying to improve her magic. So, when she claimed she had gained an even higher level of magic, she convinced one of the other residents to let her try it out on them." All of a sudden, my mother paused and I had the feeling that what was to come next wasn't pleasant. Still, I encouraged her to continue.

"What happened when she used her magic? Nothing really bad, right?" My mother lowered her eyes as she walked and I held my breath for her response. Her voice was so quiet; it was almost hard for me to hear her.

"Her magic was dangerous, as I've said. It was a kind of dark magic that people feared in the Underground. It was the reason why most witches were not welcomed in the Underground. She ended up killing the person she tried her magic on; she actually beheaded them and made them bleed severely. In other words, it was an act of clear murder and those who were not witches thought she had done it on purpose. The king at that time was disgusted by what she had done and no longer wanted her in the Underground. She was told to leave and never come back, and she took me with her. I never saw the Underground again after that." My mother's voice almost broke as she finished explaining.

"Where did you go after that?" I questioned her further even though we were now close to the Burrow.

"The King took my mother's magic away before she left to make sure she never used her magic in a dark way again. He didn't know I had magic in me. After we left and I had turned eleven, Hogwarts was the school that chose me. They must have known I still had extraordinary magic and I was allowed to go to Hogwarts. Surprisingly, I had always wanted to become an Auror. You're probably interested in finding out about the real story of how I left you." I nodded vigorously and then decided to voice my interest.

"Funny, that was one of my next questions for you. What really happened?" My mother took a deep breath and dived into the story about how she had come to abandon me in the first place.

"Well, a couple years after I had finished my schooling at Hogwarts, I met your father. We connected instantly and it wasn't long before I married him. Before that, I never told him how I was a witch because I assumed he would not accept me in that way. A few years after I had you, I could feel some kind of magic in you. I decided that it was time to confess to your father that I was a witch. Like most Muggles, he freaked out and we got into an argument. He said he did not want to have ties to a witch and he immediately suggested divorce. I explained that I did not want that and he threatened to take you away from me. Either way I would most likely lose you and we had the divorce. He was granted custody of you and I was forced to disappear from your life. I'm sorry for leaving you and that your father resulted in remarrying a horrible woman." I silently agreed with my mother as I considered the truth in her story. I wouldn't' have cared if she was a witch if she had stayed with me; she was my mother and much more loveable than my stepmother. Sadness quickly filled me as I thought again about my father.

"He's dead now, I think. Bellatrix told me her group had killed him and that my stepmother was a secret witch as well. I think she may have caused danger to my step-brother, Toby. The Death Eaters want him, you know. I guess he's a wizard, too." My mother didn't interrupt me as I told her all this, but I could clearly see some understanding in her eyes.

"Yes, I know. I recently heard that your father has been…killed by the Death Eaters. Your stepmother being a witch is something I was unaware of. I guess she did what I failed to do and safely kept her mouth shut. As an Auror, I already discovered that Toby was being targeted by Death Eaters. They want to try to use any magical abilities he has. By the way, he has been taken away recently." I gasped and everyone looked at me with concern. A horrible feeling twisted in my stomach and I felt shame for not being there for Toby. At this point, I could not get my voice past a whisper.

"Bellatrix took him, didn't she? He's gone…" My voice trailed off as I waited for the inevitable truth to come. Surprisingly, my mother's voice remained calm and filled with confidence.

"No, I have to say Bellatrix was unsuccessful no matter how hard she hides her annoyance or embarrassment. We Aurors have a way of knowing what goes on among dark magic. In fact, it was someone else who took Toby and I can tell you where he is. Do not worry, Sarah. He is as safe as he could possibly be in this situation." She stopped in her tracks next to the Burrow and faced me directly, waiting for my response.

"Where is he then? I trust you in saying he isn't in danger." My mother nodded in an approving way before opening her mouth to answer. Another comforting smile had formed on her lips.

"It is very simple, Sarah. He is now in the place that is safest for you. Think, Sarah. You are no longer safe here at the Burrow and naturally there is only one place you can run now." My mother stepped back from me to let me think about what she said.

I did realize that the Burrow was unsafe now that the Death Eaters found us there. I could not return to my house since there would be nothing but an intimidating Dark Mark hanging in the sky above. Where else could I go? Then, it instantly hit me and I felt ridiculous for not thinking of it before, especially now that I had regained my memories. The only safe place we could go now was the Labyrinth; it was the only place where I might hide from the Death Eaters and find Toby. It was where I had to travel now. I looked up at my mother and knew she caught the recognition in my eyes. She nodded encouragingly before turning away. A sense of fear broke through me as I watched her start off.

"Wait, aren't you coming with us? I don't want to see you go again." My mother turned back for a minute and smiled again, her words softly reaching me as if on wind.

"Don't worry, Sarah. I don't intend to truly leave you now, not when I finally found you after all this time. I will try to keep watch over you and help you if I can. Here, you can take this necklace with you. It's a really special one that will remind you of me." She handed me the necklace and I saw that it glowed brightly like nothing I had ever seen before. It dazzled and shined with a mixture of warm colors and my mother swept back my hair so that she could put it on me.

"This is a special necklace because I created it myself. It did cost me some of my energy and magic, but it was worth it. As long as you keep it, you will have something to connect you to me. You see, the warm colors mean that both you and I are in a safe state and are still filled with strength. As long as the bright colors glow, it will tell you I am perfectly fine and strong. Plus, it also holds the ability to tell you exactly where I am."

My mother took another few steps back and nodded once more to me. She began to move off again, but seemed to have been struck by one last thought. She faced me again and held extended her arms. I hurriedly embraced her and stood watching her slowly disappear into the night. I could still feel her presence and heard her voice whisper in my mind as Harry guided me back inside.

_I will always be watching you. Be careful, there isn't much time left. Our fight has truly begun._ A sad smile crossed my lips and I realized that there really was no safe place in my world anymore. It was time to return to the Labyrinth, a choice that would certainly take all my strength and wisdom.


	16. Lord Voldemort's Request

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry potter series or the movie Labyrinth. The ones who own these ideas completely are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. I own nothing while writing this story, including characters, ideas, places, or events (pertaining to past events that are mentioned in the series or movies). 

**A/N:** The reviews, as always, are really good and I hope the readers are enjoying my story so far. Just to clear something up ahead of time, if (and that 'if' is still up for debate) I cause Jareth to have any ties to the Wizarding world, it will NOT be in connection to Dumbledore, since that is known to be cliché. Personally, I am not that fond of that idea, so it will not be shown in my story. I have had a couple reviews asking that. Beyond that, I think this chapter will push everything forward a little more and explain some things. Other than that, you can review if you have any other ideas, questions, etc. I am always glad to hear what the readers think! I hope you enjoy the next chapter of my story (not closing up yet!). (= 

**Chapter Sixteen: Lord Voldemort's Request**

The Death Eaters had ultimately decided to leave Karen's fate in the Dark Lord's hands. Bellatrix eagerly led the way to Malfoy Manor, where the Dark Lord was currently residing. Narcissa followed her sister, gripping the arms of Karen as she went. Every time Karen complained or tried to twist out of Narcissa's grip, Fenrir Greyback would fiercely snarl at her or threateningly reveal his teeth to her. It always caused her to fall back into a silent panic and it was only made worse by the rapid beating of her heart, the shaking of her nerves, and the high-pitched cackling of Bellatrix Lestrange. Somewhere deep inside her mind, Karen knew she was going to die, just like her husband shortly before.

Bellatrix stopped before the wrought iron gate that stood high in front of the Malfoy Manor. The house looked incredibly dark and chilling; not one light was shining inside and Karen could swear she heard the soft hiss of a snake nearby. Karen immediately shut her eyes, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was.

_ Oh, please, let it be anything but that deadly snake of his! Not the snake!_ Karen could feel her heart racing in her veins and jumped slightly when someone pushed the iron gate open, causing it to give a horrible, unbearable screeching noise. Narcissa lightly pushed Karen forward and she realized she didn't want to have her eyes closed if she had any chance of escaping later. She was unfamiliar with the Manor and if there was some way she could escape, she had to know exactly where they were taking her. Bellatrix skipped forward into the Manor, her dark hair swirling with the angry wind that had suddenly kicked up around them.

Bellatrix led the group down a number of hallways that seemed to go on forever. By the time they reached the third hallway, Karen was ready to give up with paying attention to directions; it was much too dark inside to really get a feel for her surroundings. Finally, they reached a set of double doors and Karen could feel Narcissa's grip tighten a bit. The doors instantly swung open and Karen was guided into a room that looked to be a large library. There was a small fireplace near one wall that only contained ashes of a recent fire. A wide table was placed in the center of the room and Karen took an inward breath when she met the eyes of the one sitting there.

The Dark Lord was covered ion a black cloak, but his face was still clear. His eyes seemed to glow red and dangerous, which only made Karen squirm more. Bellatrix stepped to one side as he waved the group inside. Karen felt her breath come faster as if she were gathering all her last breaths at once. She could feel something slithering beside her leg and she quickly tried to stifle her scream as the snake crawled near the table. The Dark Lord slowly picked the snake up and stroked its head lovingly as he watched Karen twist in Narcissa's hold. Eventually, he opened his mouth to speak and a harsh whisper came to her.

"Release our guest, Narcissa. I'm sure she won't go running just yet. Besides, she has nothing left to live for, has she?" Karen could hear Bellatrix's cruel laugh from across the room and was surprised when a burst of anger filled her. She felt Narcissa's grip break, but she immediately knew the Dark Lord was right; she had absolutely no chance at running now. She waited for him to focus on her again and then forced herself not to shiver when he hissed at her again.

"You must know you are a foolish, worthless thing now, Karen. You have failed us too many times and for too long. You have been given this last chance—"Before she knew what she was doing, Karen interrupted him while he was speaking.

"My Lord, I have tried to give you the child that you wanted, but he was gone—"

"Silence! Your mistakes are not to be pitied, Karen. Even when I gave you this simple task, you failed. When I commanded you to discover the whereabouts of Linda Williams, you could not answer me. When I ordered you to hand that other child of yours over to me, you could not do it. Tonight, your allies have abandoned you and leave your fate to me. I assure you I will not be forgiving or humane." Karen could feel all the breath in her lungs leave her in that moment; she was now starting to accept that fact that these were her last moments. She could only think of one thing to say.

"My Lord, I am truly sorry that I have failed. Please…" Her words trailed off; she knew her pleading would be a wasted effort or at least serve to make him angrier. Sure enough, his face changed into one of fury and disgust.

"You dare plead with me after I have said my word? What makes you think it will help you now when you are so close to death? I'm sure by now you could practically taste it, it's inevitably near. If anything, I would have expected you to hand me your step-daughter; you were never really fond of her anyway." Karen stepped forward only once, not wanting to push the Dark Lord over any serious boundaries. She could feel pathetic, wet tears forming underneath her eyelids and she blinked to push them away. Without thinking, perhaps to regain a bit of her status back with the Death Eaters, she only managed to blurt out one piece of information.

"All I know is that Sarah is gone. Bellatrix found her near the Burrow, where the Weasleys live, but I'm sure she's gone now. There is no place she can run now. The only place I can think of for her to run is the Labyrinth." Karen covered her mouth as she heard herself give this information away. Sure, she didn't like Sarah, but she did not want her killed. That was why she had come up with the idea of the facility instead of giving her away to the Death Eaters. Now, she realized what she had done the minute she saw the eager, deadly look in the Dark Lord's eyes. He smirked at her before prodding her again.

"What was that? The Labyrinth, then? Perhaps you know the way into this other world. Word has it that there is a great source of power there. Imagine how that power will help me and my magic. Now, Karen, if you'll be so good to explain?" Bellatrix eyed Karen threateningly, as if she wanted to tear Karen's throat out if she refused what seemed to be a simple request. Karen didn't take more than a second in making her decision.

"No. I will not tell you how to get there and you will never get it out of me." Bellatrix gasped excitedly and apparently was trying to hold herself back. Karen could sense every Death Eater's eyes on her body as she waited for the Dark lord's cruel response. It seemed he was shocked or incredibly angry. It was a full minute before he spoke. To Karen's surprise, he laughed.

"You think I cannot get the answer out of you, hmmm? Well, Karen, we'll just see about that." Before Karen could react, the Dark Lord raised his wand and aimed it directly at her. _"Crucio!"_ Karen's body was instantly filled with uncontrollable pain and she had to lean against the edge of the table to keep from falling straight to the floor. The intolerable pain did not cease until she screamed out in surrender.

"Stop! I will tell you everything!" The pain in Karen's body ceased and it was difficult for her to draw a breath before she reluctantly explained. Her words came in slow pants as she tried to speak. "Sarah…she's in the Labyrinth. It's…hard to get into unless you know how. Only people that have…magic can get inside. It only takes the power…of a wish to get into the Underground. You have to…want to get in there. Once you're in…I guess any magic you claim there will be yours." Karen paused and focused again on the Dark Lord. She was able to stand upright now that the discomfort had left her body. The Dark Lord did not look angry as he beckoned her forward. Karen cautiously took a few steps closer to the table.

"I assure you that you made an excellent decision in giving me this information, Karen. My Death Eaters will access the Underground at once. It is only too bad you will not be among them when that happens. _Avada Kedavra!" _ A familiar burst of green light surrounded Karen and her body fell helplessly to the floor. There was a hard cracking sound when her head hit the table as she fell, but then there wasn't so much as a single breath from her. The Dark Lord's lips twisted into a cruel smile as he gave orders to Bellatrix for raiding the Labyrinth.

"Bellatrix, I trust you can handle this mission now, much better than Lucius could handle his orders. Find your way into that Labyrinth as soon as you can. It should not be that difficult for you to gather together all the magic you can find in that world. If you do find Sarah Williams or perhaps her brother there, you are to bring them directly to me. Do not waste any time, Bellatrix." She nodded in understanding and gave Karen's lifeless body only one more disgusted look before she left the Manor, the other Death Eaters swiftly following behind her.


	17. Into the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: I do not own the series of Harry Potter or the movie Labyrinth. These ideas belong only to the ones who created them; J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. Otherwise, I own absolutely nothing (except the storyline!) while writing this story. 

A/N: I am incredibly, completely sorry for not writing up another chapter any sooner than this. So for those of you who are still determined to read this story, I am sorry! I have been going through the hugest writer's block ever and for some reason I just haven't felt like writing for a while. Now, I am back to writing so I hope the readers enjoy the long-awaited continuation! Please review to tell me your thoughts on this story! (= 

Music that inspired this chapter: "What Can I Say" by Carrie Underwood (ft. Sons of Sylvia), and "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood. 

Chapter Seventeen: Into the Labyrinth

The moon's light washed over the Malfoy Manor as the small group of Death Eaters filed out into the open. Bellatrix led the way, always cackling in excitement as she twirled in the night. Her dark eyes appeared triumphant and determined as she moved among the others. Karen's words echoed in her mind, constantly reminding her how close they were to getting what they wanted. In Bellatrix's mind, it would be so easy to conquer Sarah's secret world. In fact, Bellatrix was sure that was where Sarah was planning on going and she could not wait for the moment to confront the girl herself.

Bellatrix slowed to a stop and allowed the others to catch up to her before delicately raising her wand. Fenrir Greyback came to a stop beside her, but he did not look her in the eyes. Instead, he was staring at her raised wand with a skeptical look on his face.

"What exactly do you think you're doing now? Magic isn't going to do anything now. You heard that Squib back there," Greyback's voice came out in a harsh growl as he addressed Bellatrix. She looked shocked from the moment he began protesting. Now, her lips were fixed in a pout as she put back her wand. Bellatrix stepped forward, still feeling a bit of embarrassment. Unlike Greyback, she spoke in a low, whispery voice that could still be heard clearly among the other Death Eaters.

"I wish…." Bellatrix sent a piecing glare in Greyback's direction as she started to speak. He returned her glare with a sinister smile that showed off his fierce, sharp teeth. Brushing back a mass of her dark hair, she started again. "I wish that we had entrance to this labyrinth!" She closed her eyes and waited in the silence that followed, but nothing happened. She cautiously glanced around, unsure as to what was supposed to happen. The others did the same, gazing around with confused looks. Greyback snarled with impatience. Bellatrix felt more heat rise to her face as she understood that she must have done something wrong.

_No, this isn't fair! Karen said it would work, this was the way to do it!_ Bellatrix cleared her throat and spoke louder this time as she made another attempt. She could practically feel Greyback's furious eyes on her back as she tried for a second time.

"I strongly wish that we could gain access to this labyrinth!" Again, Bellatrix was on her guard, praying that something—anything---would happen. Instead, everything around Malfoy Manor remained quiet and dead. There was no secret opening before her, no possible way that the labyrinth would be revealed. Now, the other Death Eaters were staring at her in accusation as they waited. _Well, what ever am I supposed to do now? Nothing's happened here! Maybe Karen lied or I did it wrong again…_As if reading her mind, Greyback stepped up to her and growled like she never heard before.

"This is all your fault! Nothing is happening and you said you were sure how to gain entrance! How much longer do you think the Dark Lord will accept your failures?" Anger coursed through Bellatrix while she was being scolded and she could not keep her voice from reaching the level of shrieking.

"Apparently, Karen has lied to us; that's the problem! It has absolutely nothing to do with me whatsoever! I can't help it if _we_ are doing it wrong. Here's an idea, why don't we simply find that wretched girl and force her to open the labyrinth, hmmm?" Everyone's eyes lingered on Bellatrix as they considered this alternate option. Even Greyback paused to stare at her in amazement.

"And what happens if that girl has already disappeared from the Burrow? What if she's already gone into the labyrinth?" Greyback simply could not cease questioning Bellatrix's actions. Fuming, she openly glared at him as she argued back at him.

"I am certain her group has not left the Burrow yet. In fact, we probably have enough time to catch them, I am positive," Bellatrix assured the group of Death Eaters, who looked more than ready to go along with her plan if it meant avoiding the Dark Lord's wrath. In truth, Bellatrix's confidence on the fact that they still had time was a major bluff since she was not sure about Sarah. She just hoped that she could avoid another embarrassment. _Karen is lucky that she's dead. Otherwise, I would have killed her, _Bellatrix thought angrily as she disappeared into the night with the other Death Eaters.

* * *

Sarah gripped the side of the bed as she tried to focus on gathering the rest of her things. It shouldn't have been that hard since she had brought along very few items to the Burrow, but thoughts about the events of that night kept interrupting the process. Now, she simply sat on the edge of her bed and allowed the flow of troubling thoughts to rush through her mind. She absently played with the necklace her mother had given her such a short time ago. The thoughts in Sarah's mind were overwhelming, so much that she did not notice the footsteps coming towards the room.

"Are you almost ready, Sarah?" Harry stood at the doorway, watching her with eyes that expressed worry. He simply waited for her to respond, not bothering to question her further. Sarah didn't realize that she was gripping the bed so hard until she looked down to see her hands turning almost white. She released her grip and stood up carefully.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure yet. I'm still gathering my things…" Harry stepped into the room. Clearly he had noticed her tense behavior. Sarah felt her body grow cold at the sight of his eyes, so full of sympathy and care. It was only then that she remembered how much she had lost in the last few hours; her father was gone, her mother had left her for the second time in her life, and now Toby had again disappeared into the labyrinth. Suddenly, it was a bit too much for Sarah to handle.

"I don't think I'm ready for this yet. I don't think I'm ready to face the labyrinth again, at least not now. I just started remembering all this a few hours ago and so much has already gone wrong. I need to slow down for a minute," Sarah protested in a voice that made her sound weary and put of breath. Harry helped her to sit down on the edge of the bed and then he began placing her things in her bag.

"I know how you feel, Sarah. This feeling that everything is turning out wrong and that there's little time to stop or breathe…I've felt that before, too. I'm sorry that this is happening, but we don't have much time now. It's now or never." Sarah threw herself back onto the bed and stared defiantly at the ceiling.

That was the thing she especially hated about this; it was now or never, there was no such thing as middle ground. If she did not trust herself to wander into the labyrinth again, she never would be able to do it. She tried to concentrate on making a decision, but a whirring noise interrupted her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry move quickly to the bedside table and pick up a small object. She recognized it as the Sneakoscope that Harry had been talking about. Before she could register what that should mean, a loud noise of trampling footsteps rushed into the room. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had made their way upstairs and were now holding their wands at the ready.

"What's going on? What's happening now?" Hermione was keeping her eyes trained on the Sneakoscope while Ron and Ginny stared in confusion. Harry motioned to the object with an alarmed look on his face.

"It means that there are enemies around somewhere. I'm taking a guess that it's the Death Eaters, though I don't know why they came back. We need to leave. Now." He tossed a quick glance in Sarah's direction, who immediately got the message. This was the "now or never" part. She instantly got to her feet and grabbed up her things. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were grouped together in the middle of the room, ready for any sign of a Death Eater. Ron appeared to be almost hyperventilating at the thought of another attack. Sarah could barely make out the words eh muttered.

"Isn't once enough for one night? Here we go again," Ron mumbled as he grabbed onto Ginny's arm. Harry looked towards Hermione and Sarah for any clue as to what to do next. Downstairs, the sound of the front door bursting open and a woman laughing wickedly could be heard. Sarah moved closer to the group, not exactly sure about how to open the labyrinth. The only knowledge she had came from the small red book that she once treasured and her foggy experience years ago. Uncertain, she could only hope that repeating her words from that experience would be enough. Just for extra measure, she tried to convince herself that she really wanted the labyrinth to open before her and she willed it to happen.

"I wish…I wish the goblins would come and take us away right now," she whispered to no one in particular. She had once memorized the words and somehow it was as if she had transported back to those simple days. She could recall so many details now that it was as though they had never left her mind.

The lights in the room began lowering one by one until it was almost pitch dark in the room. There were still noises of banging and crashing from downstairs, but the bedroom was almost completely silent. No one dared to move or take in a sharp breath. Small, sneaky sounds of feet and giggles came from the dark corners; Sarah was certain they belonged to the untrustworthy goblins that should be surrounding them. The crashes from the rooms downstairs were getting louder and closer; the Death Eaters were probably starting to look upstairs. Sarah could see no possible means of escape or entrances to the labyrinth. The others looked frightened and unsure. The only thing Sarah could do was pray and hope that she could somehow open the labyrinth.

_Please, I need help. I wish the labyrinth would open now! Something, anything. I need the labyrinth to open; I need help. _Sarah continued to ignore the growing noises of the Death Eaters until a golden light enveloped her. The windows of the bedroom had opened, but there was a strange light flowing in, not the light of a deep, dark night outside. Sarah stared curiously at it for a minute before she recalled her bedroom windows opening to the world of the labyrinth years ago. She could see a field that stretched on before her and a feeling of success filled her until her heart seemed ready to burst. _Something happened. Something worked. _

The group hastily moved toward the window and did not bother to look back as--one by one--they carefully climbed through the window. Sarah was the last one to leave the bedroom. Harry lingered by the window next to her with curiosity dancing in his emerald eyes. She looked around the room once more, certain it could be the last time she saw the Burrow. After another moment, she was satisfied and she crawled through the window after Harry. Neither one of them bothered to notice that the voices and loud noises had finally reached the bedroom door.

Sarah landed easily on the grass below her and she immediately glanced around, taking in every familiar detail. The sky was filled with the same eccentric, golden light that had entered the bedroom. In the distance, she could clearly see the high walls of the labyrinth. She suddenly remembered running through that labyrinth and through all its challenges. The sensation that someone was gripping Sarah's arm pulled her back into reality. Hermione was gazing at her with wonder as she motioned in the direction of the maze.

"I think it's better if we hurry away, just in case. Even if we're not sure what we should do, it would be better if the Death Eaters don't have a chance to follow." Sarah simply nodded along with Hermione's words. Taking a deep breath, Sarah moved in the direction of the labyrinth for the second time in her life.

* * *

Fenrir Greyback crashed through one of the bedroom doors on the third floor and snarled once he saw it was empty. Bellatrix pushed past him and wandered into the silent room, holding her wand in front of her. An angry expression was covering her face. She cautiously moved further into the room and it took her a moment to notice the open windows. Looking out, she almost gasped aloud at the sight. It was a whole different world; she could see the walls of what looked like a maze and a castle far in the distance.

_This must be it! Just in time, too. _ A sly smile formed on Bellatrix's face s she turned towards the group. They watched her with guarded eyes, not yet seeing in detail what she saw from the window. She pointed her wand to the window and they all rushed to see what she had found.

"Looks like we found our labyrinth, hmmm? Well, what are you all waiting for?" Bellatrix nearly pushed the other Death Eaters through the window, hoping that it would not decide to disappear anytime soon. Narcissa paused behind Bellatrix, looking at the new world with a kind of uncertainty.

"Bella, are you sure about this? I'm not exactly sure this is what should be happening just now. What kind of power could this girl and her younger brother possibly have?" Bellatrix's snake-like eyes found Narcissa's worried eyes. Her smirk was filled with disgust and anything but pity for her sister.

"You're not going against the Dark Lord's request, are you? Pity you won't get any credit whatsoever when we succeed. I certainly won't be willing to vouch for you, sis." Bellatrix's tone dared Narcissa to argue. Narcissa seemed to squirm and she appeared to be stalling.

"I just don't think this is the path we should be taking. In my defense, this has nothing to do with what I really care about; my son and Lucius. Besides, this girl does not seem particularly dangerous. She just seems like a girl who has this secret that isn't hers to tell. We don't even know if the child has any special power. This feels wrong," Narcissa pleaded Bellatrix with her eyes, but Bellatrix would not have it.

"Since when are you the peacemaker, huh? If that's the way you're thinking, Cissy, then stay behind and don't bother meeting with us later when we present our success to the Dark Lord." Bellatrix left Narcissa behind and helped herself through the window into the world of the labyrinth. All the while, she laughed wickedly, knowing the battle was only starting.


	18. Intrusion

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the movie Labyrinth or the series of Harry Potter. These ideas, characters, places, and other material belong to Jim Henson and J.K. Rowling. I do not own anything while writing this story (except maybe the plot).

A/N: I know it has been an excruciatingly long time since I updated for this story, but I have been having a hard time trying to upload this chapter. I tried it three times, but every time I wanted to put it on fanfiction, my computer crashed. Well now I have finally gotten this chapter up and I am very sorry for the delay. I hope the readers enjoy the chapter and leave a kind review at the end. Enjoy!

Chapter 18:Intrusion

Sarah opened her eyes to see the Underground world around her. The skies were a mysterious orange-red color and the walls of the labyrinth stood tall in the distance. For a moment, it almost seemed as though she were fourteen again and ready to journey through the labyrinth for the first time. This world looked the same as she had last seen it two years ago.

The others stood beside her, taking the sight in with widened eyes. Hermione's face looked guarded and a little doubtful, as if the labyrinth were really an illusion. Harry turned his head to catch Sarah's eye and smiled briefly. She could tell he was eager to move forward.

"Well? What are we waiting for, then?" Ron looked from Hermione to Harry and finally to Sarah before he figured out the reason why no one was moving. They were all looking expectantly at Sarah, waiting until she was ready. Ron murmured something before hanging his head in embarrassment.

Sarah didn't notice; she was too busy staring at the walls of the labyrinth. It was just like last time. She needed to journey through the labyrinth in order to find Toby. She only hoped that he was safe in the hands of the Goblin King. _He is safe. The Goblin King wouldn't hurt him…because he wouldn't hurt you,_ a small voice whispered in the back of Sarah's mind. She recognized the truth in these words, but she still shook her head to get them out of her mind.

"Let's go," she finally stated as she looked around at each of her friends. They eagerly followed her down the long path and they didn't stop until they had reached the entrance to the labyrinth. Sarah paused again to study this entrance. Her friends immediately stopped behind her, as if they were the followers and she was their leader. _At least I don't have a time limit...I hope, _Sarah thought before resting her hands on the wooden surface of the entrance.

"Now, hold on," Hermione's voice stopped Sarah. "Maybe we should take this slowly instead of just rushing in there. We could...come up with a plan," she suggested while glancing at the others for support. Sarah turned to face Hermione, her response already in mind.

"We don't need a plan, Hermione," she said patiently. "I have my memories. I've been through this before, remember?" Hermione crossed her arms and clearly was not about to give in just yet. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were watching the two of them like spectators watching a game of tennis.

"Well, perhaps your memories aren't good enough. What if something's changed inside the labyrinth?" Again, the heads of their spectators swiveled towards Sarah. She glanced at the walls of the labyrinth, as though pondering Hermione's questioning.

"Then, we'll figure it out and keep moving forward. It couldn't have changed that much," Sarah insisted. Still, Hermione shook her head.

"Sarah, there has to be some sort of logic we can use. You don't expect us to just charge in there with nothing to rely on." Now, Sarah crossed her arms and glared at the girl.

"There is no such thing as logic here. Trust me, the answer to this labyrinth can't be found in a book, Hermione. It's like Alice's Wonderland; everything isn't as it seems," Sarah explained carefully. Hermione opened her mouth to argue some more, but Harry and Ron interrupted.

"What?"

"Whose?" Their faces were full of confusion. Sarah had forgotten they had never interacted with normal childhood things. Hermione rolled her eyes at both of them; she knew what Sarah meant because she had actually grown up with normal parents in a normal world. Sarah sighed.

"Never mind. The point is that we're wasting time arguing over something like this, especially when it's completely irrelevant to the labyrinth. The only way we're going to get through this is by moving forward," she said before turning to the entrance once more.

"Umm, I think we should start moving now," Ron whimpered as he pointed to the sky. Where there were once bright red skies, there was now a dark patch of clouds. The sky had darkened almost to the point where it was impossible to see a hand in front of your face. Sarah watched as two or three swirls of darkness flashed by and aimed for the castle in the distance. As quick as the darkness came, it was gone and the red skies returned.

"Death Eaters," Harry clarified. "They must have followed us here." The others exchanged worried looks while Sarah continued to stare at the bright sky. _Well, there's my time limit,_ she thought.

"See? There's proof that we need to start moving as fast as possible," she said. Harry nodded at her and helped to push the large door open.

"Ready, then?" Ginny asked as she pulled out her wand. Sarah motioned to the wand with her head.

"You won't need that." Ginny looked down at her wand and then back at Sarah, smiling. She held a firm grip on it, as though she were afraid she might lose it.

"Better safe than sorry, right?" Sarah shrugged and, alongside Harry, strode into the labyrinth for the second time.

The minute that Sarah stepped into the labyrinth, she began relying on her memories. Without informing any of the others, she immediately started down the path to her right. She kept one hand out, allowing it to brush against the wall. _I remember...there was a false wall somewhere here._ With that thought in mind, she let her fingers trail along the wall as she almost ran down the path. She could hear the sound of her friends' footsteps hurrying to catch up behind her, but she didn't care. _I have to find Toby. I have to find Toby!_ That had been her mantra the last time she was here and, like the world around her, it had not changed.

Almost ten minutes passed as Sarah was running down the path. She was almost out of breath, but she pushed herself to keep moving. The others were slowing down and breathing heavily. Her hand continued to glide along the labyrinth wall, but there was no open space underneath her fingertips. It was just brick wall and more brick wall. _It has to be here, it has to! I remember it was here!_ A minute later, Sarah and her friends were facing a brick wall and there were no turns available.

She glanced to her left and right and even placed her hands against the brick wall in hopes that it wouldn't really be a brick wall. It was no use; her hands only felt cool, smooth brick. She turned around and saw each of her friends looking at her in dismay. Hermione took a step forward, but didn't say anything. _It couldn't have changed! It hasn't changed...has it? _

"If we go back, we might find another way through," Harry suggested. Ron nodded his head eagerly at Harry, but Sarah was sure he didn't want to stay in one place for too long. Hermione stared at Sarah with a look that said I-told-you-so.

"We can't go back," Ginny suddenly said, causing everyone to look at her in confusion. She was leaning against one of the walls casually, as though without a care in the world.

"Why not? There's nowhere else we can turn," Hermione argued impatiently. Ginny didn't respond in words; she merely pointed to something behind Harry and Ron. For the first time, they saw what she had first noticed. A new brick wall had blocked their way and so they could not turn back. Harry beat his hands against it, but it was as solid as any other wall in the labyrinth. Ron stared at it as though an elephant had just fallen from the sky.

"Where did that come from? Is this a trick or something?" Hermione stepped up beside Harry and placed her hands against the wall, just like he had done a moment ago.

"I told you. There isn't any logic to this labyrinth. Anything could happen and nothing is what it seems," Sarah confirmed after they stopped attacking the wall. On the outside, Sarah seemed calm and calculating. On the inside, she was about ready to break down and was running out of options. _It was a trap. We're stuck and there's nowhere to turn. _Hermione seemed to read this on Sarah's face and she nodded and frowned.

Sarah desperately glanced at each of the walls surrounding her, but nothing came to her. She leaned against the wall and slowly sank to the ground. Everyone gazed at her with worry and concern. She wracked her brains trying to figure out a solution, but it seemed there was no solution. One by one, the others joined her on the ground until Harry was the only one standing.

"Look, we can't just stop and give up. There has to be a solution, right? There has to be a way out of here," he stated. No one was agreeing with him and no one was listening. Like followers paying attention to their leader, they were waiting for an answer from Sarah.

"What do we do now, Sarah?" Ginny asked. For the first time since she had pointed out the newly formed wall, she looked and sounded worried. She had voiced a question that each of them were thinking. It was a question that Sarah could not easily answer.

"I don't know, Ginny. I don't know," she whispered before dropping her head onto her knees and blocking out the mocking sight of the solid brick wall and their trap.

The Goblin King stood by the bay window in the throne room and watched as the skies dimmed to darkness and shadows swirled in unison, aiming for his castle. There were intruders and they were coming. The thought of intruders in his castle angered him. In his arms, Toby squirmed and cried out. He lifted a small hand towards the window as if he also understood the meaning of the situation.

Jareth paced around the throne room, holding Toby close to him. There was complete silence here; he had sent the goblins away for a little while. This sudden intrusion should keep them occupied. Jareth turned his thoughts to Sarah. She would come; he was sure of it. He took Toby away for her; he was doing this all for her and only her, just like last time.

With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a crystal in his palm and focused his thoughts on Sarah's beautiful face. An image was being pieced together inside the crystal and in another second, he could see Sarah inside the labyrinth, her head down on her knees in dismay. So, she was here already and she had fallen into one of the traps. After Sarah had bested the labyrinth two years ago, he decided to change the layout of the labyrinth, make it more challenging in case anyone decided to face his labyrinth again.

Jareth dismissed the crystal and it vanished like lightning. He crossed the room and gazed at the gloomy skies. He suddenly looked down at Toby as if seeing him for the first time.

"I'll have to protect you, won't I?" Toby showed no sign of hearing him. His large eyes wandered around the room in childlike wonder. "I have to protect her," he said, although he wasn't sure whether he was saying this to Toby or himself.

A sharp, mocking voice broke the silence from the doorway and it was a voice that Jareth did not recognize. "A bit too late for that I'm afraid."


	19. Tunnels

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am just an ordinary person who is writing fanfic. Therefore, I do not own anything from the Harry Potter series or the awesome movie Labyrinth.

A/N: I want to say thanks to those who are still reading my story and for the all the amazing reviews you guys have given me up to this point. So now I am presenting the next chapter and truth be told I don't think I really liked this chapter at all. In fact, it took me so long to come up with this chapter since my writer's block hasn't really disappeared…still, I hope you guys (somewhat) enjoy it and leave a review afterwards (maybe those reviews will help get rid of my writer's block).

Chapter 19: Tunnels

"Sarah?" The gruffly voice came out of nowhere. Sarah's head shot up from where it was laying against her knees. Ever since she had dropped to the ground and lowered her head—which seemed like hours ago now—she had shut herself up in her mind, trying to come up with a good plan. It was harder than she thought it would be; she had disregarded idea after idea. The only sounds had been the shuffling of her friends' feet as they scoured around the walls of their trap for a way out. Sarah vaguely recalled Harry's suggestion that they use magic to help them escape. That was seconds before the other voice said her name.

It was Hoggle, dressed in his ragged, odd clothing as usual with a simple expression on his face. He was standing in a corner near the wall that had appeared out of thin air, locking them in this tiny space. The others were staring at him with widened eyes; Ron was the only one pointing foolishly at him.

"Where did he come from? That…troll or whatever," Ron wondered out loud. Hermione shot a look of disbelief at Ron for calling Hoggle a troll, of all things. Harry was trying to hide a smile that was quickly spreading across his face. Hoggle smirked at Ron.

"For your information, I happen to be a goblin. Not that I'm entirely satisfied with that, but still…" Hoggle started going off into one of his rants. Before she knew what she was doing, Sarah had picked herself up from the ground and was hugging Hoggle.

"Hoggle! Oh, God have I missed you! How did you get here/ Don't tell me you're stuck here, too," Sarah exclaimed as Hoggle struggled to get out of her grip. Sarah released Hoggle and he carefully straightened the cap on his head.

"What are you talkin' about? Jareth sent me away from the castle. Somethin' about intruders and that I was to watch out for you. I saw one of them, some hideous witch with a lot of hair…"

"Bellatrix?" Harry stepped forward, wand in hand, and was looking down at Hoggle with an intense look on his face. "She's there right now? At the castle?" Hoggle sighed and inclined his head in a way that resembled a nod. He began pacing around and studying each of Sarah's friends.

"Wonderful," Ginny said sarcastically as she went to stand closer to Harry, her arm lightly brushing against his. _That means we have less time than I thought,_ Sarah realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. _Oh, Toby…hold on._

"Hold on," Hermione interrupted, causing Sarah to stare strangely at her. "How did you get here?" She motioned to Hoggle, who looked at her with an expression that suggested the answer should be obvious.

"The tunnels, of course," he said. Sarah gazed around at their trap, but did not understand what Hoggle was talking about.

"What tunnels?" Hoggle sighed and ambled off into one of the corners. Sarah followed him and watched as Hoggle rapped three times on one of the walls. She looked from him to the wall, but nothing happened. "Hoggle, that's just a regular wall. We've already tried finding an exit—"

A rumbling sound seemed to come from the wall and suddenly it swung backwards, forming a doorway into a darkened space. Sarah peered through the doorway and felt a light draft coming from inside. There was also a weird smell, kind of musty as though she were standing in an old closet or cellar. She pulled back to get a breath of fresh air and she noticed that Hermione, who was standing right behind her, had her nose scrunched up.

"Well, get going," Hoggle said before pushing Sarah into the tunnel. She immediately began sliding downwards as though on a slide. It was a full minute before she landed painfully at the bottom. One by one, her friends crashed on top of her as they slid down the tunnel. The last one to come down was Hoggle, who simply jumped over Sarah.

"That wasn't really fair," she muttered. Hoggle turned to her and shook his head.

"You're still sayin' that? You haven't changed much," he mused. Harry tried disentangling himself from Sarah, only to sway and bump into the wall. Ron was rubbing his head and Hermione was scowling as she glanced around the tunnel. Ginny was the only one who carefully picked herself off and brushed herself off easily.

"What that really necessary, Hoggle?" Sarah knew she should feel more irritated, but figured it wouldn't do much. Hoggle wandered off down the tunnel, forcing her to follow behind.

"How else do you think I'd get you down here?" Sarah threw her hands in the air.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe if you asked me to go down the dirty, disgusting tunnel I would have," she pointed out. She accidentally brushed her fingertips against the wall and she jerked her hand back instantly. The walls didn't feel like moist dirt like she thought they would. Instead, they felt slimy and cold to the touch. A few more disgusted sounds came from behind her and she knew her friends had done the same thing.

"Oh, yeah. Don't touch the walls," Hoggle suggested too late.

"Oh, now you tell us," Ron mumbled just loud enough for Sarah to hear. "By the way, there wouldn't be any spiders down here…right?" Harry laughed and Hermione sighed dramatically. Hoggle shrugged carelessly.

"I suppose there are a few big, nasty ones if you take a wrong turn," he said. Ron yelped, his eyes as wide as those of a deer in headlights. Harry held his wand a little tighter. Sarah seemed to be the only one who realized that Hoggle wasn't being serious. At least, she didn't think he was being serious. That was when another thought occurred to her.

"Hoggle, does the Goblin king know that these tunnels are here?" Hoggle stared at her as if she were crazy.

"Of course he does! He sees everything that happens here," he replied. His words echoed through Sarah's mind. _Then he must know I'm here._ She wondered what she would say or do if she saw him again. Of everything that she experienced in the labyrinth, he was the one she wanted to think least about. However, ever since she got her memory back, he was the one that was most often on her mind.

The group came to a fork in the tunnel with two paths to choose from. Hoggle glanced from one to the other, as if trying to decide which one was the right path. _We don't have time to stand here and think…_

"Don't you know which one it is?" Harry questioned Hoggle with a doubtful expression.

"Give me a minute," Hoggle shot back. Sarah gazed at the two paths, but they appeared to be the same. She pushed past Hoggle and chose to hurry down the left path. Hoggle bounded behind her and the footsteps of her friends weren't far behind.

"Wait! This is the wrong path," Hoggle insisted, trying to catch up to her. _A second ago you weren't even sure which path it was,_ she thought. Sarah started to run down the path. It wasn't until she was farther ahead that she realized the ground was caving in beneath her feet. With a loud crash, the ground collapsed and Sarah was falling into darkness.

…

Bellatrix stood in the doorway of the throne room with two other Death Eaters behind her. A wicked smile was covering her face and her long, wild hair fell in front of her heavily-lidded eyes. Her wand was held out in front of her. Carefully, she took a few steps closer to Jareth, who was holding Toby protectively. Unlike Bellatrix, there was no hint of amusement on his face and his eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

"Now, we've only come for one thing," Bellatrix said as she motioned her wand to Toby. Jareth's grip on the child tightened and he half turned so Toby was not directly in view.

"Unfortunately, it is the thing you most want that you are not going to get," he informed her. Bellatrix stopped moving and a dangerous look entered her eyes. The Death Eaters backed away slightly; they knew how bad things could get when Bellatrix got angry for any reason. It almost seemed as if her hair was standing on end. The smile dropped from her lips.

"If that's the way you want it…that girl is here as well," Bellatrix said. Although they did not notice it, Jareth's hands were clenching and anger was quickly filling him. "We could take what we want from her instead."

"If you do anything to harm her, I'll—"

"You'll do what?" Bellatrix challenged him. The sly smile came as quickly as it disappeared. Jareth reached a hand behind his back and he could feel the door there. He knew he couldn't fight with Toby in plain sight; it would be too much of a risk. Bellatrix didn't seem to notice the door at all. She was too busy gloating with the fact that she had gotten to him. "Just hand over the child and there'll be no more trouble from us. We'll even spare the girl for whatever she's worth," Bellatrix said, closing in on him. Jareth smirked at her and—before they could do anything to stop him—he ducked into the next room with Toby, knowing that he was about to have the upper hand.

…

Yeah…as I said, I don't think this chapter is one of my best ones. Still, I am hoping to update again very soon for you guys. I actually just finished this chapter during one of my breaks at school. (= Remember to review because reviews help me break through that horrible writer's block and keep on writing. Also, does anyone know the actual name for the room with the twisted stairs and everything? I can't remember it and I was going to put it in at the end (that's the room that he goes into). If anyone could let me know, that would be great!

I also just noticed that somehow in Ch. 17 I accidentally switched to thrid person with Sarah...and I have no clue how that happened. I think all of my stories are starting to get jumbled together because I am working on three other stories and two of them are in third person. Why don't you guys let me know? Should I stay in third person for this story or go back to first person with Sarah?


	20. End of the Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth. In fact, I pretty much own nothing while writing this story. **

**A/N: IMPORTANT! I wanted to let you guys know that I have decided to go back to first-person point of view with Sarah (since I somehow switched to third person in Chapter 17 and up). I happen to think that first person would be better for this story than third person. Moving on...thank you all for your reviews; of course, they are a big part of what motivates me to keep writing. Here's the next chapter for you guys, hope you like it. **

**Chapter 20: End of the Journey**

It was dark and cold when I hit the ground at the bottom of the hole. Dust and chunks of dirt rained down on my head as my friends crashed beside me one by one. Hoggle landed on his feet, just like he had when we first slid down into the tunnels. Harry picked himself up off the ground, not bothering to worry about the dirt and dust on his clothes. Instead, his eyes roamed around, searching for a way out.

I tried to lift myself up and instantly felt a sharp pain in my arm. There was a jagged cut that ran down my forearm and blood began spilling as I examined it. Harry noticed the wound and pulled a strip of cloth from the bottom of his shirt. Carefully, he wrapped it around my bleeding arm and smiled. I gazed around for a long time until I recognized the space we had just occupied.

"Hoggle, are we in the oubliette?" The others stared at me, wondering what I was talking about. Hoggle, however, gave me a serious look.

"Yeah, thanks to you running off through the tunnel. Fortunately, the tunnels extend down here," he said before heading off into the darkness. I ran to catch up with him and soon bumped into him. It was so dark that I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face. Hoggle was still and I figured he was trying to remember the way...again. A spark came from the wall to my left and a handful of flames burst to life. Hoggle was holding a torch in his hand, which helped to light the tunnel a bit. Hermione and Harry were digging up thick roots from the sides of the tunnel and pointed their wands at them.

"_Incendio,_" they chanted, causing the roots to catch on fire. Hermione handed one of her roots to Ron while Ginny was busy fixing up her own fire.

"Hey, why don't you let me set some root on fire?" Ron questioned, glancing from Ginny's now burning torch to Hermione. She shook her head at Ron before quickly setting flame to another large piece of root.

"Honestly, Ronald. If we let you set fire to a root, you'd most likely burn the entire tunnel down," Hermione told him. Ron muttered something that I couldn't hear, but apparently Hermione heard it perfectly fine since she glared at him. I rolled my eyes and followed Hoggle as he set off down the tunnel.

This tunnel was different from the one we had first ventured through. This one had more twists and turns and in some areas, the ceiling dropped down until we had to duck our heads to avoid it. I didn't mind it that much; the only thing I was thinking about was Toby, about saving him for the second time in my life. I was thinking of him and what I would do when I saw the Goblin King again.

It was then that a terrible smell hit my nose. Groans and protests erupted from behind me and I covered my mouth and nose to block the disgusting smell. Hoggle seemed unaffected by it; he just kept moving forward.

"What's that smell?" Harry asked the question that most of us were thinking. Me, I would know that smell anytime I crossed it again. It had been bad enough the first time around and it seemed like it was ten times worse now. Hoggle lifted his nose to the air and then made a gruesome face.

"Oh, that. We're underneath the Bog of Eternal Stench, we are. Don't let any of it drip on you," he warned us. I glanced up at the ceiling and noticed an ugly gooey substance leaking through the tunnel. A drop fell down and landed softly on the ground, creating a small puddle.

"Why, is it dangerous?" Harry spoke again, staring at the foreign liquid. Hermione had her nose scrunched up as she rushed past the puddle, not wanting to get any closer to it than she had to. Ron had his mouth open in wonder as more of the liquid dribbled down the side of the tunnel.

"Trust me, if you get some of that on you, you'll never smell good again," Hoggle replied, jumping out of the way of a drop of the goo. Hoggle turned to me with an interesting expression on his face, something like amusement. "Do you remember that?" I pictured the obstacle of the bog and attempting to cross it the first time I was in the labyrinth.

"All too well," I said. When I didn't mention anything else, Hoggle smirked and started off again. We all sidestepped the smelly puddle and practically ran down the tunnel, hoping to get as far away as we could from the ugly smell.

…

Bellatrix entered the next room, but she didn't see the Goblin King or the baby anywhere. All she saw was hundreds of stairs, twisting this way and that, some upside down and some diagonal. There were stairs that seemed to lead nowhere and there were some that stopped in midair completely. Bellatrix gazed around the room and figured it must be a trick. The other Death Eaters stared with wide eyes at their new obstacle. Somewhere deep inside the room, they heard the small, soft cry of a child.

"Well, this shouldn't be too difficult," Bellatrix said before climbing a set of stairs directly in front of her. As she did, she caught sight of the child walking down a separate set of stairs across the room. "There, you fools! Get him," she ordered, pointing at the baby. The Death Eaters followed her finger and dashed off down a set of stairs when they noticed the baby. Bellatrix jumped over to another set of stairs, these ones heading straight upwards at an odd angle.

The baby kept crawling and began descending underneath some stairs. He was upside down, even though he did not fall. Bellatrix hastily moved to the end of the stairs and lowered herself down onto another level. Across the room, one Death Eater was hanging onto the side of a stairway and another was hopelessly reaching out to the baby in hopes that he would catch him. Bellatrix tried to do what the baby was doing and settled herself on the underside of the stairway.

It was magic, alright. She was standing on her feet—upside down, of course—and she was not falling. Her dark mass of hair was hanging down and her dress threatened to lift over her body. The Death Eaters spied her and they started to laugh to themselves. Bellatrix held down her dress and shot them a look of hatred.

"Stop laughing and find the baby!" She shrieked loudly, her voice echoing over and over around the room. She climbed over the stairs until she was right side up and glanced around. She had no idea where the door was and now there was no longer any sign of the baby at all. Somehow, they had lost him and they were going to have a hard time finding their way out of that room. Bellatrix clenched her fists and snarled.

"What do we do now?" One of the Death Eaters wondered out loud, earning an evil stare from Bellatrix. This was definitely not going the way she thought it would.

…

It felt like we had been following Hoggle through the tunnels for ages. The nasty smell from the bog had drifted away and all there was left was silence and shadows. Finally, he halted in his tracks which caused me to almost topple over him. It was like a chain reaction; Harry collided with me, Ginny ran into Harry, Hermione and Ron both became smushed together.

"Why did you stop?" I asked Hoggle suspiciously. There was nothing but tunnel up ahead and I couldn't see any exit anywhere. Hoggle was studying the ceiling, occasionally taking a couple steps to the left or right to look at it from a different view. I stared at the ceiling, but there was nothing there except the walls of the tunnel. "Hoggle, there's nothing there," I said. He shook his head and refused to move his eyes from the spot above.

"That's where you're wrong. This happens to be the way out," he informed us. It should have made us feel relieved, but there was nothing to see. Hoggle tried jumping to reach the ceiling, but he was too short. "Would you mind pushing on the ceiling?" He asked me and I sighed.

Placing my hands against the cool, slimy surface of the ceiling, I pushed with all the strength I had. At first, I thought this was hopeless and wouldn't do anything for us. Then, the ceiling appeared to lift upwards inch by inch until it swung open, revealing the tinted sky.

"Oh, it's a trapdoor!" My voice was filled with surprise as I gazed at the red sky above. Hoggle motioned for us to climb through and soon we were standing in the middle of the small town that was centered below the castle. "We're almost there already," I observed, my eyes widening as I took in the sights of the goblins roaming around, some of them turning their heads to stare at us strangely.

"See? It's a good thing to have a shortcut like that," Hoggle stated, ignoring the other goblins that were passing by. Harry was smiling as he gazed around in wonder, Ginny stepped up beside him to do the same, and Ron was attempting to get some dirt from under his fingernails. Hermione stood with her arms crossed, no sign of emotion on her face whatsoever.

"There's the castle," she pointed somewhere in the distance. The castle loomed ahead, much closer than it was when we were in the first section of the labyrinth. I swore I could almost hear Toby's shrill cries and his laughter. Another sound came from behind the group; it was a voice, one so familiar and distinct that I recognized it immediately.

"Excuse me, excuse me! Why won't you goblins listen to me? Goblins," a small fox muttered as he rushed around the town.

"Sir Didymus,"I exclaimed. The little figure whirled around, wondering where the voice had come from. He spotted me and a small smile covered his face.

"Lady Sarah? Is that you? It has been ages," he said, almost jumping onto me with joy. The others watched him in amazement, not knowing what to make of him.

"Oh, please. You were one of the visitors in my bedroom not too long ago, remember?" Didymus stared off into space for a moment until he recalled what I was talking about.

"Oh, yes, right. And as I was saying to the oblivious goblins in this town," he mentioned in a loud voice so that those who were passing by could hear, "there is an invasion at the castle! No one wants to help me in my quest." I looked down at him and picked him up so he could rest on my shoulder.

"That fox is your friend?" Ron spoke up and in doing so made Didymus irritated.

"That's Sir Didymus to you," he corrected in a shrill tone. Ron's eyes widened as Sir Didymus growled at him.

"Well, excuse me," Ron mumbled as he backed up and stood behind Hermione. She sighed irritably, a frown crossing her face. Once Sir Didymus calmed down, I explained to him that I was going to the castle to save my brother again. Harry took over and explained that the invaders were some of his worst enemies, the Death Eaters. Sir Didymus listened quietly—at least, most of the time when he wasn't interrupting with questions—until we reached the castle entrance.

This was it. This was where it would all come to an end, I knew. Dropping Sir Didymus on the ground, I started to pull the doors open with the intention of entering alone.

"Wait a minute, Lady Sarah," Sir Didymus stopped me. Hoggle gazed down at Sir Didymus with interest. "Is this like last time? Do you wish to face this battle alone?" I considered it, but Harry answered for me.

"There's no way you're doing this alone," he insisted. He smiled at me and put his hand on my shoulder. He had become one of my good friends through this journey and I didn't want to risk losing him in this battle.

"Yeah, Sarah. We won't let you go in there alone. You know, you are so much like Harry in that way; so brave but sometimes really thick," Hermione said with a small laugh. I tossed her a serious look, but dismissed her words.

"Look, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me, really. But I have to save my brother again and this is my fight. I have to face it myself," I argued, hoping they would let go of the issue. Each of them gazed at me with respect and they each stepped back one by one. Harry was the only one who remained close beside me.

"I understand, Sarah. At least let me finish this battle with you," he said to me, still holding onto my shoulder. Something in me agreed with him, wanted him to be there for me when this battle came to an end.

"Alright, but only you," I said. Harry smiled down at me and finally took his hand from my shoulder. The two of us pushed open the castle doors and together we entered, preparing to face the war that was only beginning.

…

Wow, this chapter was almost seven pages long! I guess I really did a lot of writing. So, how did you guys like it? Remember to leave a review; they are always so helpful. By the way, (in case you couldn't tell) this story is coming to a close soon and you'll just have to wait to see what happens. (= Oh, and guess what? In the next chapter, two certain characters are reunited (finally). Will you be able to stand the waiting?


	21. Reunited

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters, places, or ideas. Likewise, I cannot claim anything in relation to Labyrinth. The only ones who own these remarkable ideas are J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. **

**A/N: Thank you again to all of you who are reading this story and have been since the beginning. Your dedication to keep on reading is awesome and this story never would have made it this far without you! (= On another note, I hope you enjoy the next chapter and remember to keep on reading until the end. By the way, Sarah and Jareth finally come face to face again in this chapter (yay!). **

**Warning: you guys are probably going to hate me at the end of this chapter. I hope I don't lose too many of you...**

**Chapter 21: Reunited **

The castle doors slammed behind us, shutting out the rest of the world and our friends. It was just me and Harry now, and whatever lay ahead. The two of us hastily climbed the winding steps that led further into the castle. As I climbed, the memories of my encounters with the Goblin King rushed through my mind and I knew he would be there waiting when we finally reached the top. I especially remembered being with him in the ballroom and that same pleasant feeling was wrapping around me once more, though I didn't fully understand why.

It felt like the stairway was going to go one forever when we finally reached the last step. Both of us were out of breath, but it didn't seem to bother either of us. My breath stopped immediately when I entered the throne room. The Goblin King stood near one of the bay windows, holding Toby gently. He sensed our presence and turned to stare at me with a strange look in his eyes. They held me to the spot and my heartbeat quickened.

"I knew you would come, after all this time," he said to me, as though I had returned for him. Still, there was a part of me that—for some reason—couldn't deny that theory. Somehow, I managed to make my feet carry me across the room. The only time I felt I could lower my eyes from his was when I carefully took Toby into my arms. The Goblin King watched me, not saying anything, as I examined my baby brother. Finally, I assured myself that he was fine and faced the Goblin King with a small smile playing on my lips.

"Thank you," I said quietly. Surprisingly, he brushed his hand over one of my own and lifted it carefully to his lips, causing a pleasant chill to run down my body. His lips lingered on my skin longer than they should have before he dropped my hand.

"Everything I do, I do for you, Sarah," he told me, his eyes burning into mine. It felt like we were the only ones in the room—maybe in the world—and it was a struggle to take my eyes away from him. I even forgot that Harry was still there, awkwardly standing in the doorway and gazing around the room. The pleasant feeling overwhelmed me and it seemed like time had stopped, that this moment would keep going on forever.

"Awww, isn't that sweet," a snide voice interrupted. Bellatrix was leaning in the doorway behind us, positioned directly across the room from Harry. His eyes narrowed and he brought his wand out in front of him at the sight of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix was combing a hand through her wild hair and I could only guess that she had been inside the room with the twisting stairs. I wondered how she liked it in there, considering that it was a confusing jumble of upside-down staircases. "No more tricks. All we want is the baby," she said, pointing her wand to Toby.

Immediately, I backed away from her, trying to hold Toby at an angle so that she could not harm him. Bellatrix followed my movements and both Harry and the Goblin King rushed to stand in front of me. Bellatrix's cackling filled the room. Toby squirmed in my arms, but my grip on him tightened.

"Do you really think that's a good idea? Well, I'll just have to kill both of you," she warned. A heavy feeling jumped into my throat at the thought of Bellatrix disposing of these two as easily as if she would dispose of a simple piece of paper. Fortunately, Harry was already prepared for her threats.

"_Expelliarmus!" _A blast of power erupted from Harry's wand, knocking both Bellatrix and her wand to the ground. The other two Death Eaters instantly went into action. The battle had finally begun.

…

Outside the castle, Hoggle and Sir Didymus stood waiting with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. The group looked worried and no one could think of any reasonable ideas to spend the time. Ron was still trying to get some dirt from under his fingernails and only stopped when Hermione swatted his hand. Ginny was pacing frantically, clearly wanting to get involved in the fight.

"You heard what Harry said. He and Sarah are taking care of it. They can handle it," Ron said. He obviously wasn't willing to jump into the action. Hermione gave him a cross look.

"Well, we can't just sit here and wait for news to come. There are at least three Death Eaters up there, including Bellatrix. We have to help them," Hermione stated. Ron stared at her like she had gone crazy.

"I agree. The hell with waiting. They need our help," Ginny said. Hoggle and Sir Didymus were watching the exchange, nodding when Hermione and Ginny spoke.

"Off we go then! Into the castle; this fight is ours," Sir Didymus yelled into the air. Ginny laughed at the sight of him. The group, having made their decision, entered the castle, Hermione pulling Ron along all the way.

…

Harry and the Goblin King spread out, but still managed to keep me in their sights. Harry cast spell after spell at the Death Eaters, some so fast they even took the Death Eaters by surprise as they were forced to the ground. The Goblin King commanded five crystal balls to surround the Death Eaters, which then exploded around them in trails of fire.

Bellatrix hurriedly got to her feet and vanished into wisps of black smoke, aimed right for me. In an attempt to avoid her, I ducked to the ground while Toby screeched. The black smoke covered me and then Bellatrix reformed beside me. She grabbed onto Toby and tried to pull him from my arms. Angrily, I instinctively drove my fist into her stomach, causing the breath to leave her lungs. Somehow, she only stalled for a minute and held her wand in the air. Holding Toby close to me, I turned away from her, already knowing it was too late.

A green flash of light swarmed over me and intense pain shot through my body. I fell to the floor, Toby rolling out of my arms. Harry halted immediately, staring with a pained expression as he watched me fall. The necklace my mother gave me shattered on the floor, its light fading away to nothing. I remembered hearing the Goblin King's anguished cry and Harry screaming the word "no" again and again. The last thing I saw was the stone floor rushing up at me, and then darkness enveloped me. Somewhere, miles away—perhaps in another world entirely—I'm sure my mother was mourning.

…

**Okay, before you yell at me and thrash me with God knows what, I assure you everything will be okay in the end. This is just one of my nasty cliffhangers (and if you read my stories, you should know I sometimes toss out some real tense cliffhangers). Hopefully, you guys will still review and give me your thoughts (I'll give you a cookie if you do! Any cookie of your choice!). Don't worry, I plan to have the next chapter written up soon. Until then, please don't throw bricks at me for this cruel cliffhanger!**


	22. The Power of a Choice

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth. These ideas and stories belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson. The only thing I own while writing this story is the plot.

A/N: Cyber cookies to all those who reviewed my story last time including **FireShifter **and **Ayjah**. Don't worry; it's not the end of the story yet. On that note, here is the next chapter. By the way, this story is now up to **80 reviews!** That's more reviews than I've gotten in any other story! Why don't we try to reach 85? (=

Chapter 22: The Power of a Choice

Harry spun around as soon as he saw the flash of green light fill the room. Bellatrix was cackling victoriously, holding her wand out in front of her. Sarah seemed to freeze in place and then she finally dropped to the floor, her brother falling away from her. Her body hit the floor and she lay there without giving any sign she was even breathing.

Before Bellatrix could cross the room, Harry picked up Toby and aimed his wand for her. Anger rushed through his body as he realized what the Death Eater had done. The other two Death Eaters stood there in awe. The Goblin King was attempting to hide his distress for Sarah by watching the Death Eaters suspiciously, prepared to fight if he had to. Bellatrix stared down at Sarah's lifeless body with mock pity before focusing on Harry.

"I will get that child. You might as well hand him over or the same thing could happen to you," she said threateningly, pointing to Sarah. Toby squirmed and cried out sharply. Harry clenched his teeth, the last of his control fading away.

"Voldemort would never forgive you if you killed me. You know that as well as I do," he told her. A dangerous look came over her and her hair seemed to stand on end. Bellatrix smirked and charged for Harry.

"_Crucio!"_ The Death Eater stumbled to the floor, jerking with the pain she felt from the Unforgivable Curse. Harry stood over her, breathing heavily and angrily. Bellatrix trembled almost in fright as she gazed up at Harry. "Leave. You've lost. Leave and never come back," he ordered Bellatrix, who shakily nodded her head. Harry kept his wand trained on her as she struggled to her feet and—with the other two Death Eaters—vanished into thick, black smoke and left through the bay window. The last of Harry's strength left him and he dropped to his knees next to Sarah and felt the first hot tears run down his face.

…

Hermione led the group up the long, winding stairs until they came to a large door. Ginny and Ron shoved the door open while Sir Didymus jumped about with anticipation for the fight. What they saw in the throne room wasn't what they expected to find and the group stopped in their tracks.

The first thing they saw was Sarah's body, lying on the stone floor. Her back was facing them, so they couldn't get a proper view of her face. Toby was sitting closeby, not making a sound as though he understood the situation clearly. Harry was kneeling beside her with tears falling from his eyes and a look of anger written on his face.

As they watched, Harry cried out in the air and yelled the word "no" again and again as if he couldn't accept it. The Goblin King kneeled down as well and carefully took Sarah into his arms, holding her close. The group never moved from the doorway; they could only watch the scene as they realized they were too late. Harry finally sensed their presence and glanced up at them with empty eyes.

"She's gone. She's gone," he mumbled repeatedly. Hermione stepped across the threshold and slowly mader her way to Sarah's body. The others followed behind her in silence; even Sir Didymus's excitement had been tossed away the moment they entered the throne room. Hoggle was beside him, staring down at Sarah with sadness and pity. The group formed a circle around Sarah's body and—without any words—began to mourn.

…

I was floating in white light. It felt like I was floating through clouds and I wasn't sure if this was how death was supposed to feel. There was nothing around me, only emptiness and light. Slowly, I opened my eyes again.

I was standing in a large room, almost like a ballroom. At the very end of the room was a set of large, white doors. They were opened just a few inches, enough for me to see the blinding, pure white light beyond it. Looking down at myself, I noticed I was dressed in the same white dress that I had worn while dancing with the Goblin King. The next time I looked up, there was a pedestal in the center of the room holding a crystal. It was so quiet as I stepped towards it and I could hear every click of my heels.

Peering into the crystal, I watched as images appeared before my eyes. There was an image of my body, lying on the stone floor of the throne room. Another image showed Harry surrounded by my friends and tears were falling across his face. The last image was of the Goblin King, holding my body and stroking ym hair with his fingers. There was a look of pain and concern on his face, something I had never seen before—at least with him, anyway.

The images drifted away until it was simply a crystal ball again. At last I understood this place that I was in. It was like I was between living and dying, between heaven and earth. I had to make a choice and I was the only one who could make it. The large white doors would lead me to a world beyond this one, a place of purity and light. My eyes, however, were focused on the crystal ball and all it had showed me.

Finally, I made my decision and I lifted the crystal ball into my hands. After that, the only thing I saw was white light.

…

Blackness. The white light had left me some time ago and now I was left with blackness. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and dull sounds reached my ears. The words were hard to make out, but I was sure someone said "she's gone." I opened my mouth and drew in a huge breath of fresh air. It felt good, knowing my lungs were expanding with the effort. There was a slight sound to my left.

"Harry, she's breathing! She's actually breathing," someone said in a surprised voice. I recognized Hermione's shrill voice and I felt my lips lift into a small smile. In an effort to open my eyes, I saw each of my friends surrounding me and staring down at me like a science project. Harry was beside me and was holding my hand, his green eyes wide behind his glasses. Opening my eyes wide, I saw the Goblin King above me and I remembered that he was the one holding me.

"Welcome back," Ginny said to me with a smile. She was leaning towards me and her red hair was falling over her shoulders. Harry was watching her with interest. "Looks like you're not the only one who's survived the Killing Curse," she was saying to Harry, who shrugged sheepishly.

"I don't have a scar, do I?" I lifted a hand to my forehead, but the Goblin King took it in his and held it.

"No, none that we can see," Ginny replied. Harry suddenly turned to me, a confused expression covering his face.

"Sarah, how did you even survive that?" Everyone whirled their heads in my direction, almost like they were watching a game of tennis. Each of them waited for my response and I could only think of one thing to say.

"Some people don't have power over me, remember?" Harry's eyes shined with understanding and a little hint of laughter came from above me. "Help me up," I demanded Harry, who carefully grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"You have power, Sarah," the Goblin King said as he stood there in front of me, his mysterious eyes holding mine. "You had the power to open the door to the labyrinth at will and the power to make a choice. What is your choice about staying here?" He asked me, taking me by surprise. He lifted my face gently with his hand so that I was looking directly into his eyes. I thought about his offer and then my mind turned to my mother who was probably mourning with grief at this moment. I pictured my father, no longer alive to welcome me back if I returned. Toby was crying out next to me and I lifted him into my arms.

"I have to go back. There are things I still have to take care of," I explained to him. A look of understanding crossed his face, but there was also disappointment that he was desperately trying to veil. My heart ached as I observed his disappointment and he pulled back from me coldly. I could feel the eyes of my friends burning into my back.

"Very well," the Goblin King said and he turned away from me, not willing to say anything else. My throat felt like it was closing and my eyes were wet as I strode through the doors of the throne room with my friends in tow. I didn't look back; if I did, I was sure I would never have the strength to leave.

…

It's almost the end, so hang in there, readers! I promise, it will all work out in the end. You'll see! Reviews are loved and they give me tons of inspiration for writing. Maybe we could try to reach 85 reviews by the next chapter? (=


	23. Never Fair

Disclaimer: I just learned that I do not in fact own the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling does. I also have no claim over the movie Labyrinth. Those ideas belong to Jim Henson respectively.

A/N: Here is the next chapter of my story and I am sorry it took about a week or so for it to come up. Well here it is, so I hope the readers enjoy it and leave a review afterwards.

Chapter 23: Never Fair

It only took us ten minutes to return to our world from the labyrinth. We dropped off Ginny, Hermione, and Ron at the Burrow, where I reluctantly said my goodbyes. Then, Harry and I left them behind and went back to Privet Drive. We stood there in front of his house for a long time, thinking about everything that had taken place.

"What are you going to do?" Harry gazed at me sympathetically. Toby was in my arms and staring at Harry. Recalling my dead father and step-mother, I simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I do know that I don't want to take Toby back to the labyrinth. It's much too dangerous and risky for him," I heard myself saying, even though I did not give much thought to it. "At least we had an interesting summer together," I said, trying to make light of the situation. Harry nodded and gave me a brief hug.

"Sarah, be careful," he told me. He smiled brightly at me and then retreated into the house. Toby began crying and attempting to wriggle out of my arms. The sun had faded long ago and all there was now was silence and shadows. Turning, I spotted my house and remembered that it hadn't been that long ago that I moved into it. The desire to walk into that house again—as if everything would be normal—was too great to resist.

The house was dead silent and empty of the people I knew. My ears kept straining to hear some familiar sound like my father's voice calling, but there was nothing there. Bellatrix had ruined everything.

"I was waiting for someone to return. I didn't think it would be you," a voice came from behind me. I turned to see my mother—my real mother—leaning inside the doorway. She had a smile on her lips, bit it was the kind that could break away easily. Toby clapped his hands when he saw her. My mother moved toward me, keeping her eyes on me the whole time. "I thought I lost you. I didn't want to accept it," she said to me, her voice shaking.

"It was strange. Technically, I died but I made the choice to keep living," I explained to her. She nodded and took Toby from my arms. He laughed childishly for a few moments.

"What are you going to do?" My mother gazed down at me with sympathetic eyes, knowing my decision would be difficult to make. I stared at Toby and already knew what I was going to do.

"I want Toby to have a somewhat normal life. Could you take care of him for me?" My mother glanced up at me in surprise and then nodded in understanding. Toby stopped squirming and looked at me as though he were going to cry.

"You're going back," my mother stated. I nodded and moved past her. "It's not exactly fair, is it?" Stopping in my tracks, I smiled as I recalled the words I always used to say. Now, it was changed.

"It never is," I commented before finally leaving. She let me go for the second time in my life, but this time it was my choice.

…

A cold breeze flowed through the cemetery and it chilled me to the bone. I had my father buried in our family plot and now I stood there, praying for him. In my hands were a bunch of red flowers and I placed them gently beside his grave. It was the last thing that I could do for him. Tears ran down my face as I remembered the good times between me and my father. Of, course that was before my step-mother came along. Thinking about her now, I realized that I never found out what happened to her exactly, but I was certain she was dead. Not surprisingly, I didn't feel much pain over that fact.

"I'm sorry. I'll never forget you," I whispered over my father's grave, hoping that somewhere he would hear me. I turned away from the gravestone and concentrated hard, hoping to open the labyrinth again. I imagined the red-tinted sky and the castle walls. Most of all, I imagined Jareth, waiting for me. When I opened my eyes again, the entrance was open in front of me and I could practically see the castle. Slowly, I stepped through the portal and felt it close permanently behind me.

…

What do you think? This story is very close to the end now and I hope everyone enjoyed reading through it! (= Remember to hit the review button!


	24. A New World

Disclaimer: As much as I want to, I definitely do not own the Harry Potter series or the movie Labyrinth. These ideas only belong to J.K. Rowling and Jim Henson respectively.

A/N: Okay, so I think this will be the last chapter of my story. It's had quite a journey and the tremendous support from all of my readers has guided me along the way. Trust me; it would have been hard to make it this far without you guys! So, enjoy the last chapter of my Harry Potter/Labyrinth crossover.

Chapter 24: A New World

After I stepped through the portal, I noticed that the castle was right in front of me. I recalled thinking about Jareth before I had crossed through, so it must have resulted in bringing me straight to him. Pushing the doors open, I nearly ran up the stairs as fast as I could, knowing he would be there. _He'll be there; he has to be there..._

The throne room was empty and quiet. There wasn't so much as a whisper to greet me. I had imagined him waiting here, but he was nowhere to be seen. The doors slowly closed behind me with a resolute thud.

The minutes passed as I stood there, debating whether to leave or to wait until he showed. My eyes paused on the doors across the room and I began to wonder. Without giving myself a chance to hesitate, I carefully opened the doors and stepped inside the next room.

…

The room seemed bigger than I remembered it and there were definitely more winding, twisting stairs now. My eyes roamed around the room and—even though I didn't see him yet—I could sense Jareth's presence here.

"Jareth," I called out, my voice echoing throughout the room. It bounced along the walls, like it was mimicking me. On a platform high above my head, Jareth stepped out of the darkness and gazed down at me, his dark eyes unreadable. I began to move toward him and almost fell over the edge of my platform into open air. My feet teetered on the edge and then I lost my balance. A hand gripped my wrist and pulled me back from the edge before I fell and suddenly I was in his arms.

"Isn't this a surprise," he said to me sarcastically. "Here I thought you had returned to your normal world, Sarah." There was a sharp tension between us and I knew he was upset about me leaving in the first place. His eyes held mine and my heart began racing.

"I came back. I never said "no" to your offer. I just said I had things to take care of first. I left Toby in my world so he could have a normal life. I'm here now," I assured him in a soft voice. He stared into my eyes as if trying to decide whether I was being serious or not. Then, he released his grip on me and backed away. There was a clear look of distrust on his face.

"What makes you think I'll have you here?" His question was unaccepted, but then I had left him behind more than once now. It was only fair that he didn't believe me. There was only thing I wanted to tell him and I hoped it was the right thing to say.

"Because...I'm in love with you. I think I've loved you for a while, but I only just realized it," I told him, the extent of my emotions pouring out of me. He halted in his tracks and spun around to face me. In only a few strides, he crossed the platform and only stopped when he was inches away from me. I figured he was going to remain immovable by my words and tell me to leave.

"I've dreamed about how you would say that to me, but I never imagined it would be true," he said, surprising me once more. He allowed his fingers to flow through my dark hair, almost lovingly. "Say you will stay with me, Sarah," he requested in a low voice.

"I will," I agreed as I bent my head back so that his lips were close to mine. A stream of longing spread through my veins. Finally, with one quick motion, his lips claimed mine and I let him have the rest of my heart.

…

There has been nothing but happiness for me since I chose to live in Jareth's world. It became my new home and it was everything I wanted. I gave Jareth all the love I had and was named his queen shortly after my return.

Occasionally, I still thought about Toby and always wondered how he was growing. I knew my mother would keep her promise about taking care of him, but he was never far from my mind. Whenever I became too curious, Jareth would allow me to peer into one of his crystals so that I could check on him. Even though I missed Toby greatly, I never regretted the decision I made. Living in Jareth's world made me happy; happier than I have ever been. I even carried a telltale bump with me as a result of our newfound relationship.

Despite my new love and world, I never forgot about my experiences that led me back to the labyrinth. Now and again, I would stop to remember my fateful friends, especially the young boy with the lightning scar.

…

The End! I really hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I loved writing it! Tell me what you thought about it; I'm always interested in my reader's feedback. Maybe some of you could even check into some of my other stories. (= Until next time, readers!


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